Lisle-Arb CBC 2012 Summary

LISLE ARBORETUM CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
2012 Count Summary

Lisle-Arboretum CBC Home
Count Summary 2002	Count Summary 2003	Count Summary 2004	Count Summary 2005
Count Summary 2006	Count Summary 2007	Count Summary 2008	Count Summary 2008
	Count Summary 2010	Count Summary 2011	Count Summary 2012
Count Summary 2013	Count Summary 2014	Count Summary 2015

The 64th Lisle Arboretum (ILLA) Christmas Bird Count was held Sunday, 16 December 2012. We had what I believe was a record number of participants this year, with 95 field counters plus eight more counting at feeders. We came close to, but fell one species short, of a count record with 86 species reported, and three additional species were seen during count week. The previous record high count of 87 species was set in 2009.

Let me first express my appreciation for the efforts of all the participants in making this a great count. Special thanks go to the area captains, to Chris Williamson for organizing the countdown dinner (with 60+ attendees), and to the crew from Chicago Ornithological Society (COS – www.chicagobirder.org) that added a celebration of COS's 100th anniversary to the post-count festivities. Thanks, too, to COS for covering the cost of the dinner for count participants!

A new species was added to the count rolls: Great Egret. Two were seen on the count. Golden Eagle has not been previously seen on the count, but this year was recorded as a count week bird. Other unusual species for this count included Cackling Goose (ninth time on the count), Trumpeter Swan (second time), Redhead (ninth), Ruddy Duck (11th), Double-crested Cormorant (eighth), Sandhill Crane (sixth), Short-eared Owl (13th), Pileated Woodpecker (sixth), Monk Parakeet (sixth), and Brown Thrasher (16th time, but only the third in the last 15 years).

Record high counts were set for Trumpeter Swan, Bufflehead, Pied-billed Grebe, Belted Kingfisher, and American Goldfinch. This year's count of Redhead tied the record high. Other notably large counts included those for Gadwall, Hairy Woodpecker, Yellow-rumped Warbler, House Finch, and Pine Siskin. For these species, the 2012 tally was greater than 150% of the average over the last 15 years.

There weren't any really big misses. "Kind of big" misses included Rough-legged Hawk, Red-headed Woodpecker (though this woodpecker was recorded during count week), and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. We record these species two out of every three years but failed to get them this year. We had low numbers of Canada Goose, Herring Gull, and Northern Flicker. American Crow numbers remained at the low levels that set in during the 2002 count, following the West Nile virus outbreak.

I'm already looking forward to next year's count!

- Geoff Williamson (compiler)