Big Day Bird Count 2004
Greenbrook conducted its annual Big Day Bird Count on Saturday, May 15, 2004. Together, staff and members combed the 6.5 miles of sanctuary trails in search of resident and migrant species. Although the total species count of seventy was a bit lower than usual this year, everyone involved had a great time.
The count began at 6 am in foggy, damp conditions at 58° F. Due to the poor visibility—and leaf cover—many species could only be identified by their songs at this time. As the morning wore on and the fog began to burn off, the visibility gradually improved, allowing more birds actually to be seen. Unfortunately, the heat and humidity increased as well. By mid-afternoon, as the temperature approached 90°, the bird activity dropped off to almost nothing. By late afternoon birders had reacted similarly. Early evening finally brought some relief from the almost tropical conditions as the last few species were added to the day’s total.
Highlights of the day included an adult male bay-breasted warbler, a peregrine falcon, a great horned owl, and a pileated woodpecker. Also noteworthy was an apparent interspecies territorial conflict between a pair of warbling vireos, a common yellowthroat, an American redstart, and a black-throated blue warbler at the bog. The huge bullfrog on a tussock and the northern water snake slithering along a tree branch—also at the bog—were an added bonus.
Big Day is part of the International Migratory Bird Day and is celebrated annually on the second Saturday in May. Greenbrook has been a longtime participant and submits its count totals each year. The table below is the final species list for Big Day 2004.
Double-crested cormorant
Turkey vulture
Canada goose
Mallard
Red-tailed hawk
Peregrine falcon
Wild turkey
Herring gull
Great black-backed gull
Rock dove
Mourning dove
Black-billed cuckoo
Great horned owl
Chimney swift
Ruby-throated hummingbird
Red-bellied woodpecker
Downy woodpecker
Hairy woodpecker
Northern flicker
Pileated woodpecker
Eastern wood-pewee
Eastern phoebe
Great crested flycatcher
Warbling vireo
Red-eyed vireo
Blue jay
American crow
Fish crow
Tree swallow
Northern rough-winged swallow
Barn swallow
Black-capped chickadee
Tufted titmouse
White-breasted nuthatch
Carolina wren
Veery
Swainson's thrush
Hermit thrush
Wood thrush
American robin
Cedar waxwing
Northern parula
Yellow warbler
Chestnut-sided warbler
Magnolia warbler
Black-throated blue warbler
Yellow-rumped warbler
Black-throated green warbler
Bay-breasted warbler
Blackpoll warbler
Black-and-white warbler
American redstart
Worm-eating warbler
Ovenbird
Northern waterthrush
Louisiana waterthrush
Common yellowthroat
Wilson's warbler
Canada warbler
Scarlet tanager
Eastern towhee
Chipping sparrow
Northern cardinal
Rose-breasted grosbeak
Red-winged blackbird
Common grackle
Brown-headed cowbird
Baltimore oriole
House finch
American goldfinch
— 70 species seen—
