2003-2004 Peekskill Christmas Bird Count Results

Notable species and numbers include the 64 Brant on the Hudson River at Croton Point. This has to be a record high count. Croton Point's immature Tundra Swan, discovered the day after Thanksgiving remained at Croton Bay for the count. An active waterfowl pond in Shrub Oak produced several uncommon waterfowl species including two Northern Pintail and one drake Redhead. Hooded and Common Mergansers were found in large groups on the Muscoot Reservoir, while a female Red-breasted Merganser was found at the Annsville Creek in Peekskill. Rounding out the waterfowl was a flock of 210 Ruddy Ducks at Croton Point.

Great Cormorants continue to increase their numbers, especially on the Hudson with 33 being tallied on the count from both the Hudson River and reservoir areas. A single Double-crested Cormorant was seen on the Croton Reservoir.

An historic vulture roost in Cortland produced 29 Black Vultures, and a record

32 Bald Eagles (15 adults,17 immature) were tallied from Hudson River and reservoir locations. This is by far a record count for this CBC, and is most likely the highest count for any CBC in the State! Two Red-shouldered Hawks were found, a light morph Rough-legged Hawk was present at the Croton Point "meadow". The rarest raptor however came from Montrose; A Merlin! The bird, most likely an immature male, was seen by many.

A Long-eared Owl was found in an undisclosed evergreen stand, where in days just prior to the count up to four were observed. Barred Owl made a fairly decent showing with four being tallied.

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers were present in relatively good numbers with 12 on the count, while Fish Crows put in a showing in Croton, and a Common Raven was found in Yorktown Heights. Red-breasted Nuthatch was found in surprisingly good numbers for an "off" year with 17.

Half-hardies like Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, and Northern Mockingbird all seemed pretty stable considering the two blizzards they endured in weeks prior to the count. Thirteen American Pipits were found at Croton Point as was a Pine Warbler.

Sparrows made an average showing, except for Field Sparrow, with one bird on the count. Field Sparrow continues to show a slow decline on many Christmas Bird Counts, undoubtedly owing to a decline in proper habitat.

Icterid numbers seemed normal, with the six Rusty Blackbirds, four Common Grackle and 77 Red-winged Blackbirds, but no hoped for Eastern Meadowlarks at Croton Point.

Winter finches were meager this year with nine Purple Finch and only one Pine Siskin being found.

Canada Goose	3471	Red-shouldered Hawk	2	Winter Wren	6
Brant	64	Red-tailed Hawk	84	Golden-crowned Kinglet	50
Mute Swan	84	Rough-legged Hawk	1	Ruby-crowned Kinglet	6
Tundra Swan	1	Merlin	1	Eastern Bluebird	41
Gadwall	21	American Coot	1	Hermit Thrush	12
American Wigeon	4	Ring-billed Gull	1128	American Robin	72
American Black Duck	139	Herring Gull	159	Gray Catbird	10
Mallard	767	Great Black-backed Gull	34	Northern Mockingbird	73
Northern Pintail	2	Rock Pigeon	471	European Starling	1334
Green-winged Teal	26	Mourning Dove	285	American Pipit	13
Canvasback	2	Eastern Screech Owl	15	Cedar Waxwing	60
Redhead	1	Great Horned Owl	5	Yellow-rumped Warbler	3
Ring-necked Duck	36	Barred Owl	4	Pine Warbler	1
Lesser Scaup	8	Long-eared Owl	1	Eastern Towhee	3
Bufflehead	99	Belted Kingfisher	14	American Tree Sparrow	320
Common Goldeneye	14	Red-bellied Woodpecker	95	Field Sparrow	1
Hooded Merganser	160	Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	12	Savannah Sparrow	1
Common Merganser	438	Down Woodpecker	134	Fox Sparrow	9
Red-breasted Merganser	1	Hairy Woodpecker	23	Song Sparrow	240
Ruddy Duck	210	Northern Flicker	27	Swamp Sparrow	22
Wild Turkey	40	Pileated Woodpecker	8	White-throated Sparrow	641
Common Loon	2	Blue Jay	282	Dark-eyed Junco	931
Double-crested Cormorant	1	American Crow	590	Northern Cardinal	199
Great Cormorant	33	Fish Crow	3	Red-winged Blackbird	77
Great Blue Heron	7	Common Raven	1	Common Grackle	4
Black Vulture	29	Black-capped Chickadee	358	Rusty Blackbird	6
Turkey Vulture	31	Tufted Titmouse	379	Purple Finch	9
Bald Eagle 15 Adult, 17 Immature	32	Red-breasted Nuthatch	17	House Finch	243
Northern Harrier	2	White-breasted Nuthatch	171	Pine Siskin	1
Sharp-shinned Hawk	6	Brown Creeper	6	American Goldfinch	449
Cooper's Hawk	7	Carolina Wren	46	House Sparrow	500

Bedford Audubon Society

A Northern Westchester & Eastern Putnam Counties, New York Chapter of the National Audubon Society

Celebrating 95 Years of Conservation 1913-2008

2003-2004 Christmas Bird Counts