Rare geese spotted on Pig Island during Christmas Bird Count

Two White-fronted Geese were spotted on Dec. 28 on Pig Island in the second ever sighting of the species in Gulf County during a Christmas Bird Count (CBC). The White Fronted Goose is normally found only as far east as Louisiana. The other CBC sighting of the bird was in 1984.

The number of birds spotted during the CBC in Gulf County in 2011 was down about 15 percent from 2010.

During the count, 9,719 birds of 131 species were spotted by seven teams of birders. This is the second lowest number counted since 2004. The lowest number counted was 9,083 in 2009. The greatest number of individual birds counted was 14,791 in 2008.

During the 2011 count, 22 volunteers traveled 213 miles and logged a total of 81 hours of observation time.

The number of species was slightly down from last year, but the third highest since 2004. The record, 135, was set in 2010. There were 26 species found by only one team of birders.

Some other interesting birds found this year include: Northern Gannet, American White Pelican, Common Goldeneye, Merlin, Clapper Rail, Whimbrel, Red Knot, American Woodcock, Whip-poor-will, Grasshopper Sparrow, Nelson’s Sparrow, Saltmarsh Sparrow, Seaside Sparrow and White-crowned Sparrow.

Two Long-billed Curlews were spotted at Indian Pass. This is North America's largest shorebird and breeds in the grasslands of the Great Plains and Great Basin before migrating to the Gulf Coast for the winter.

Four Greater Black Scoters were spotted on Cape San Blas. This large sea duck eats mollusks and crustaceans and is normally found only as far south as South Carolina.  Black Scoters have been sighted in Gulf County only a half dozen times since the bird count began.

Another arctic sea duck, the White-winged Scoter, was spotted on Pig Island. This duck also eats mollusks and crustaceans and normally winters in the Great Lakes.

Three Piping Plovers were spotted in the Buffer Preserve. This endangered species has declined steadily in the CBC over the years.  The bird is disappearing with its habitat.

According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, “Many of the coastal beaches traditionally used by piping plovers for nesting have been lost to commercial, residential, and recreational developments.

Through the use of dams or other water control structures, humans are able to raise and lower the water levels of many lakes and rivers of plover inland nest sites. Too much water in the spring floods the plovers' nests. Too little water over a long period of time allows grasses and other vegetation to grow on the prime nesting beaches, making these sites unsuitable for successful nesting.”

A Whip-poor-will was spotted during count week. A count week species is any species that was not seen on count day but was seen three days before the count or three days after the count. The bird must have been seen within the count circle.

The Bald Eagle population has shown a steady upward trend in Gulf County. This year 33 were spotted. They were observed in all seven of the sample areas.

Great Backyard Bird Count

The CBC is over, but now it’s time to gear up for the 15th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) to be held February 17-20. The GBBC is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are across the U.S. and Canada.

The count is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society learn more about how birds are doing.  Last year, participants turned in more than 92,000 checklists online, creating the continent's largest instantaneous snapshot of bird populations ever recorded.

Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from novice bird watchers to experts. Participants count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the event and report their sightings online at www.birdcount.org.

On the web site, participants can explore real-time maps and charts that show what others are reporting during the count. The site has tips to help identify birds and special materials for educators. Participants may also enter the GBBC photo contest by uploading images taken during the count. Many images will be featured in the GBBC website’s photo gallery. All participants are entered in a drawing for prizes that include bird feeders, binoculars, books, CDs, and many other great birding products.

For more information about the GBBC, visit www.birdcount.org or contact the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at (800) 843-2473 or (outside the U.S., call (607) 254-2473) or GBBC at Cornell University, or Audubon at Citizen Science at the Audubon Society or (202) 861-2242 ext 3050.