Results from the 2005 Indiana Dunes Christmas Bird Count

This year, the Chicago Audubon Society co-sponsored the Indiana Dunes Christmas Bird Count with Dunes-Calumet Audubon Society. The following are some highlights of this count compiled by Doris Nitecki.

Thirty counters participants in the 2005 Indiana Dunes National Lake Shore Christmas Bird Count (down from 35 last year): Carol and Conrad Fialkowski, Jonathan Foster, Ron Klingensmith, Bob Hartmann, Doris and Matthew Nitecki, Bob (Bummer) Gacsko, Jim Zervos, Tracy Smith, Alan Anderson, Brian Morris, Matthew Myer, Sharon Parmet, Bernie Konrady, Bob LeMay, Ken Brock, John Cassady, Peter Grube, John Kendall (9, 21/22, F); Nancy Meyer (15, F); Randall Pals (17); Eric Lundquist, Peg & Don Mohar, Chuck Roth, Richard Knutson, Tracy Spurgeon, and Eva and Hugh Hopkins.

The bird species count of 85 was lower than last year (93 species). The number of individual birds observed, 8,734, was next to the lowest in the last ten years, though the number of species observed was the second highest.

No new birds were seen this year, although one has a new name - Wilson's Snipe (formerly Common Snipe), seen by Alan Anderson's party, which was last reported in 1992. The Dunlin, reported by the Fialkowski group, has been seen only once before, in 2003. For the first time ever, no owls were seen!

The high count of the day was 1,310 Canada Geese, followed by 1,183 Starlings. There were high counts for eight birds: Red-Throated Loon – 11 (the most since the first record in 1997); Red-breasted Merganser – 510 (over twice as many as ever seen before (221 were seen in 1996)); Common Merganser – 385 (the most since 202 in 1985); Rock Pigeon - 310; and Red-Bellied Woodpecker - 60. The American Tree Sparrow count, 504, was the highest since 1989, and the eleven Mute Swans were the most since 1995. Gull counts were low this year.
The most ubiquitous bird was the Junco, seen in 21 areas, followed by the Blue Jay, Cardinal, and Red-Bellied and Downy Woodpeckers in 19 areas each. Horned Larks, Snow Buntings, and Lapland Larkspurs were seen again this year.

For more complete information about our Christmas Bird Count as well as all others, go to http://cbc.audubon.org/cbc/index.html or click here to download information in Microsoft Word format.