Loess Hills Audubon Society

Great Backyard Bird Count Chapter Outing, Saturday 13 February 2021

by Bill Huser, LHAS Outing Coordinator

Twenty Chapter members counted birds during our February outing for National Audubon’s Great Backyard Bird Count. In all, over 16 sites in four states were surveyed and found to contain 101 species and over 3500 individuals…..WHAT???? 101 species??? 4 states ???

Maybe here I should explain that while 19 members searched high and low for scarce or huddled birds in sub-zero weather, the 20th counted 61 species in 60 degree weather in Arizona. But more about this fair weather birder later.

Highlights of the sub-zero effort included two uncommon dark-phase Red-tailed Hawks and the rare Pink-sided form of Dark-eyed Junco. Other less common or unseasonal species found were Brown Creeper, Lapland Longspur, 2 flocks of Rusty Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbird and Spotted Towhee. However, the count’s biggest surprise was a single White-winged Crossbill at a local feeder. After waiting nearly an entire winter for this species, which had been reported widely in small numbers across the region this season, we had our first crossbill of the winter.

Now, that brings us back our itinerant birder, Paul Roisen, who forwarded his list from Arizona.

Totaling 61 species, his report included some of our summer residents plus the following not to be seen in our area at any season:  Inca Dove, Gambel’s Quail, Neotropical Cormorant, Brown Pelican, Common Gallinule, Anna’s and Costa’s Hummingbirds, Monk Parakeet, Harris’s Hawk, Greater Roadrunner, Gilded Flicker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Black Phoebe, Vermillion Flycatcher, Phainopepla, Curve-billed Thrasher, Verdin, Lesser Goldfinch and Abert’s Towhee. A few lifers for some of us there!

All in all, the Count went well with very good participation, tolerable temperatures and over 3400 cooperative birds. However, data submission was a bit problematic with all data going to eBird. They did allow for individuals and groups with a leader, but did not allow, as far as I could determine, for a single compiler submitting for several groups at several different locations. So, I was not able to submit for others, as I had planned. Therefore, I urge each of you to set up an eBird account for such occasions when you are birding on your own or seeing birds the rest of us are not. I assure you it is quite painless to set up an account. In fact, an upcoming Chapter program is planned to show you the power and fun of eBird. Go to eBird.org to get started.

Our list from IA, NE & SD - Totals: 40 species, 3419 individuals