ASWP Birding
Pittsburgh CBC 2001 Results
2001 Data Table (PDF, 45k)
The complete results of the 2001 Pittsburgh CBC, listed by species and count area.
Summary
By Jim Valimont. Pittsburgh, PA, 40o 30' 48" N, 79o 58' 50" W, center near junction of Anderson and Hahn Roads, ca. 1.33 miles SW of Glenshaw, as described in 1966; elevation 710' to 1370'. December 29, 2001, 5:30 AM to 6:00 PM. Cold and mostly clear in the morning, cold and partly cloudy in the afternoon with some flurries. Temperature 19 to 26oF. Winds 0-10 mph. Snow cover – zero to two inches. Ponds frozen, rivers open and small streams mostly open. 119 observers, 84 in 46 parties, 50 at feeders. Total party-hours: 179 (154 by foot, 25 by car), 96 at feeders, 8 owling. Total party-miles: 421 (135 on foot, 286 by car), 17 owling.
Total: 67 species, 18,695 individuals.
The day started out cold and mostly clear, and stayed cold with increasing clouds toward the end of the day. The temperature barely climbed from 19 to 26F. After a very mild November and December, cold weather finally moved in just days before our count. 18,695 birds were counted, just a few hundred more than our ten year average of 18,020. We found a total of 67 species, which is exactly our average over the past ten years. Participation was down slightly. In the field, the birds were fairly easy to find, with birds usually occurring in large feeding flocks.
Noteworthy sightings:
- 81 Tundra Swans were totally unexpected. 3 were sighted by Mark VanderVen flying over Pittsburgh and 78 were sighted flying over North Park by Shirley Mutz, and Bill and Karen Parker.
- Our lone Wood Duck was found by Ron Byrom on the Allegheny River near Penn Hills.
- Our totals of 5 American Black Ducks and 1,054 Mallards were the lowest numbers recorded since 1959 and 1984, respectively. This is probably a result of the restrictions on feeding of waterfowl in many communities where they were once plentiful.
- 26 Hooded Mergansers equals the record set two years ago.
- Merlins were found for the fifth year in a row. Two were found at their usual roost in Schenley Park, but one was also found in a cemetery in Shaler Township by Joyce Hoffmann and Dave Wilton.
- A single Peregrine was found on count day, marking the sixth consecutive year they have been found.
- For the first time since the count circle was established in 1959, no Ring-necked Pheasant was found on the Pittsburgh CBC.
- The single Ruffed Grouse was flushed by Sam Sinderson et al near the Harmar Township water tower.
- Three Killdeer lingered in the area, two in North Park seen by multiple observers and one at Duck Hollow on the Mon River.
- Eight Bonaparte's Gulls were a nice find, marking their appearance for the second year in a row. These were spotted by Jack and Sue Solomon and Mark VanderVen at Duck Hollow on the Mon River.
- 1,241 Rock Doves were the lowest total since 1989, but probably is just an anomaly and not a real population drop.
- 478 Mourning Doves represent the lowest total since 1972.
- Two Barred Owls heard calling in Fox Chapel by Marge Bakkila was good find.
- 206 Red-bellied Woodpeckers is a new record, topping the 202 counted two years ago.
- The only Hermit Thrush was found by Paul Brown in Kilbuck Township.
- 22 Northern Mockingbirds sets another new record. The previous record was 18 set in 1997.
- The two Yellow-rumped Warblers were found by John Orndorff in Franklin Park.
- Eleven Field Sparrows were the highest recorded since 1991.
- Swamp Sparrows were found again in Fox Chapel, marking the fifth year in a row they have been recorded in the Pittsburgh CBC.
- Two Slate-colored Juncos, possibly of the Oregon subspecies, were found in Indiana Township by Chuck Jennewine and Sherrie Reuter.There is some controversy as to whether past records for western Pennsylvania are actually the Oregon subspecies or the "cismontanus" form, which is either a separate subspecies or a hybrid, depending on the authority. Paul Hess informed me of this distinction, so without full details and description of the birds, we are forced to just call these birds “Dark-eyed Juncos (form?).
- A single Brown-headed Cowbird was found in Shaler Township.
- The count's only Purple Finch was also found in Shaler Township.
Count period birds that could not be found on count day included Red-winged Blackbirds in Harmar Township, a Ring-necked Duck below the Highland Park Dam, and Red-shouldered Hawk in Hampton Township.
Thanks again to all of the participants who braved the frigid weather and special thanks to the count leaders for another job well done! Special thanks to Mike Fialkovich and Jack Solomon who organized and compiled the City of Pittsburgh portion of the bird count, which by itself is larger than most other Christmas Bird Counts.