For over 100 years, Audubon members in chapters across the country have recorded the numbers and types of birds they see on a "count day" during the Christmas season. This annual census is invaluable for scientists monitoring the status of our bird populations. Wabash Valley Audubon members have been counting birds in the Terre Haute area for 50 years. This year's count was dedicated to Ruth Erickson, who has participated in every CBC for the past 50 years! Our Christmas count circle is centered in Terre Haute, Indiana, and divided into 9 territories.

Results of this year's Christmas Bird Count (December 19, 2009) by Peter Scott:

Thirty-three observers participated, including 6 new counters, in 13 field parties and at four feeders. All received a commemorative coffee cup honoring Ruth and our Society for 50 great years. Thanks, Susie Dewey! Our species total was 79, a bit below our average of 83 over the last 10 years but a respectable effort on a challenging day. Light snow and rain fell steadily, and temperatures hovered around 35 degrees. In addition, early December was cold, moving the half-hardy species along.

Our three rarest species were a Common Loon at a pond on Haythorn Road in north Terre Haute, our first of this species in over 10 years; 3 Chipping Sparrows near Prairieton; and a flock of Pine Siskins. Among the waterfowl highlights were Greater White-fronted Goose at Hulman Lake, Mute and Tundra Swan overhead along the Wabash River, Lesser Scaup at Sandford Road pond, Northern Shovelers at a tiny pond in Highland Cemetery, and an American Coot at the Tredegar plant pond. Raptors included 8 Bald Eagles at various sites and a Peregrine Falcon at ISU. We missed Great Horned Owl, but had more Eastern Screech-Owls than usual, including six in the Wabashiki wetlands which attacked the intrepid Jim Sullivan and his Ipod. Red-bellied was the most common woodpecker, whereas Red-headed Woodpeckers (5) were scarce. We had 34,100 American Crows at our downtown roost, the state high as usual. It was not a bad year for sapsuckers (3), Red-breasted Nuthatch (10), Rusty Blackbird (3), or Purple Finch (8), each seen by two or more parties. Cedar Waxwing and Yellow-rumped Warbler, on the other hand, were seen by only one party. See the list of species and individuals counted.

Chipping Sparrows at Prairieton. Photo by Michael Brown.

Common Loon at Haythorne. Photo by Marty Jones.

Following Terre Haute's count, three others were conducted nearby: Turkey Run (Dec 28), Newport (Jan. 2), and Sullivan (Jan. 3), which got 76, 69, and 80 species, respectively, according to compilers Alan Bruner and Michael Brown. Turkey Run had four inches of snow cover, which brought 1800 Horned Larks, 800 Lapland Longspurs, and 7 Snow Buntings to the roadsides, a flock of Brewer's Blackbirds, and a multitude of raptors, such as 1 Golden Eagle, 21 Bald Eagles, 65 Red-tailed, and 16 Rough-legged Hawks. Newport and Sullivan were held on very cold days (near zero) but had exciting birds like Whooping Crane, Eurasian Collared-Dove, and Northern Shrike. Combined, the four Wabash Valley counts recorded 104 different species.