Ponca State Park Christmas Bird Count
Tuesday, 14 December 2021
The park hosted its 18th official CBC on Tuesday, December 14, 2021. A record 22 participants in 8 teams were able to cover the count circle as never before. With such effort, 69 species were found making it the second most productive count to date. Although it was behind the record shattering 70 species found in 2020, it still greatly surpassed the previous best of 59 species recorded in 2013.
The highlights included Townsend’s Solitaire (2), Pileated Woodpecker (2), Golden Eagle, the rare light phase of the Harlan’s Red-tailed Hawk, Red-headed Woodpecker, Winter Wren, both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets and Spotted Towhee.
Compiler: Katie Leware, Ponca State Park; Reporter: Bill Huser, Loess Hills Audubon
Total Species Counted: 69
Total Birds Counted: 11522
| BIRD | NUMBER | BIRD | NUMBER | BIRD | NUMBER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow Goose | 5075 | Red-tailed Hawk | 33 | Winter Wren | 1 |
| Cackling Goose | 2 | Rough-legged Hawk | 36 | Carolina Wren | 1 |
| Canada Goose | 2759 | Eastern Screech-Owl | 2 | Ruby-crowned Kinglet | 1 |
| Gadwall | 9 | Great Horned Owl | 4 | Golden-crowned Kinglet | 15 |
| American Wigeon | 2 | Barred Owl | 3 | Eastern Bluebird | 79 |
| Mallard | 55 | Belted Kingfisher | 1 | Townsend's Solitaire | 2 |
| Canvasback | 1 | Red-headed Woodpecker | 2 | American Robin | 191 |
| Ring-necked Duck | 3 | Red-bellied Woodpecker | 32 | Cedar Waxwing | 40 |
| Lesser Scaup | 1 | Downy Woodpecker | 38 | House Sparrow | 342 |
| Common Goldeneye | 12 | Hairy Woodpecker | 11 | House Finch | 9 |
| Common Merganser | 7 | Norther Flicker (red-shafted) | 51 | Purple Finch | 1 |
| Northern Bobwhite | 6 | Northern Flicker (yellow-shafted) | 9 | American Goldfinch | 70 |
| Ring-necked Pheasant | 13 | Pileated Woodpecker | 2 | Fox Sparrow | 4 |
| Wild Turkey | 76 | American Kestrel | 13 | American Tree Sparrow | 566 |
| Rock Pigeon | 150 | Merlin | 5 | Dark-eyed Junco | 348 |
| Eurasian Collard-Dove | 77 | Northern Shrike | 2 | White-crowned Sparrow | 1 |
| Mourning Dove | 91 | Blue Jay | 124 | Harris's Sparrow | 8 |
| Golden Eagle | 1 | American Crow | 103 | White-throated Sparrow | 3 |
| Northern Harrier | 6 | Horned Lark | 9 | Song Sparrow | 4 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 3 | Black-capped Chickadee | 80 | Spotted Towhee | 1 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 8 | Red-breasted Nuthatch | 2 | Western Meadowlark | 20 |
| Bald Eagle (adult) | 26 | White-breasted Nuthatch | 82 | Red-winged Blackbird | 16 |
| Bald Eagle (immature) | 5 | Brown Creeper | 5 | Yellow-rumped Warbler | 1 |
| . | . | . | . | Northern Cardinal | 37 |
Bald Eagle image copyright 2021 by Jan Null, used with permission.
Westfield Christmas Bird Count
Thursday, 16 December 2021
Eighteen hearty birders drove, walked, or watched bird feeders on Thursday, December 16, 2021, the sixth Westfield Christmas Bird Count! Skies were cloudy, the wind blew from 10 to 15 mph, and temperatures ranged from 18 degrees to about 41 degrees by afternoon when the sunshine appeared.
Two of those 18 birders, drove 3 hours in the morning and watched their bird feeders in the afternoon for 2 hours. Two other participants watched their feeders in the morning and afternoon for 1 hour each.
Forty-two species were identified this year, the same low count as in 2018. Our highest count was in 2020 with 57 bird species!
5933 total birds were counted, our third highest total. We had 7211 in 2017 and 6841 in 2018.
A Golden Eagle, an unusual species for our area, was seen flying over Broken Kettle Grasslands. Details and documentation have already been written. Other birds of significance were Northern Shrike, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, and Common Goldeneye.
Lunch was served at 12:30 PM. Some birders had other afternoon commitments, while others continued birding until sunset.
It was a grand day!
Compiled and reported by Dotty Zales
Total Species Counted: 42
Total Birds Counted: 5933
| BIRD | NUMBER | BIRD | NUMBER | BIRD | NUMBER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow Goose | 173 | Northern Harrier | 3 | American Crow | 32 |
| Ross's Goose | 3 | Sharp-shinned Hawk | 2 | Black-capped Chickadee | 35 |
| Greater White-fronted Goose | 28 | Bald Eagle | 10 | Cedar Waxwing | 22 |
| Cackling Goose | 57 | Red-tailed Hawk | 24 | White-breasted Nuthatch | 44 |
| Canada Goose | 4656 | Rough-legged Hawk | 13 | European Starling | 210 |
| Mallard | 20 | Eastern Screech-Owl | 2 | Eastern Bluebird | 6 |
| Ring-necked Duck | 3 | Great Horned Owl | 1 | American Robin | 7 |
| Lesser Scaup | 1 | Red-bellied Woodpecker | 23 | House Sparrow | 125 |
| Common Goldeneye | 1 | Downy Woodpecker | 13 | House Finch | 1 |
| Wild Turkey | 49 | Hairy Woodpecker | 4 | American Goldfinch | 21 |
| Ring-necked Pheasant | 7 | Northern Flicker | 10 | American Tree Sparrow | 48 |
| Rock Pigeon | 54 | American Kestrel | 3 | Dark-eyed Junco | 182 |
| Mourning Dove | 5 | Northern Shrike | 1 | Song Sparrow | 2 |
| Golden Eagle | 1 | Blue Jay | 25 | Northern Cardinal | 6 |
All above images copyright 2021 by Jan Null, used with permission.
A few pictures from Westfield CBC. It was a difficult day for photography.
Northern Shrike
American Robin
Cedar Waxwings
Eastern Bluebird
Beautiful Westfield Sunset
Beautiful Westfield Scenery
Sioux City Christmas Bird Count
saturday, 18 December 2021
Loess Hills Audubon Society hosted the National Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count on December 18th 2021. Sioux City has participated in this activity since 1909, a 112 year history! In our 2021 edition we had 22 participants in 12 teams and 3 feeder watchers. We had cool breezy conditions (31 degree high) which helped us to find 58 species. Our highlight birds were Winter and Carolina Wrens, Hermit Thrush, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Common Redpoll, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. The best non bird was a moose. The count officially closed on Tuesday December 21.
Compiled and reported by: Jerry Probst
Total Species Counted: 58
Total Birds Counted: 6798
| BIRD | NUMBER | BIRD | NUMBER | BIRD | NUMBER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow Goose | 4 | Eastern Screech-Owl | 1 | European Starling | 1964 |
| Ross's Goose | 1 | Great Horned Owl | 1 | Eastern Bluebird | 20 |
| Cackling Goose | 20 | Belted Kingfisher | 1 | Hermit Thrush | 1 |
| Canada Goose | 1161 | Red-bellied Woodpecker | 36 | American Robin | 175 |
| Gadwall | 1 | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | 1 | House Sparrow | 335 |
| American Wigeon | 1 | Downy Woodpecker | 87 | House Finch | 181 |
| Mallard | 727 | Hairy Woodpecker | 13 | Common Redpoll | 1 |
| Green-winged Teal | 3 | Northern Flicker | 18 | Pine Siskin | 6 |
| Bufflehead | 1 | American Kestrel | 4 | American Goldfinch | 112 |
| Common Goldeneye | 44 | Merlin | 1 | American Tree Sparrow | 486 |
| Hooded Merganser | 1 | Blue Jay | 45 | Dark-eyed Junco | 44 |
| Common Merganser | 7 | American Crow | 44 | White-crowned Sparrow | 1 |
| Wild Turkey | 256 | Black-capped Chickadee | 133 | Harris's Sparrow | 4 |
| Ring-necked Pheasant | 3 | Golden-crowned Kinglet | 1 | White-throated Sparrow | 6 |
| Rock Pigeon | 405 | Cedar Waxwing | 78 | Red-winged Blackbird | 128 |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | 27 | Red-breasted Nuthatch | 3 | Rusty Blackbird | 4 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 2 | White-breasted Nuthatch | 54 | Yellow-rumped Warbler | 1 |
| Bald Eagle | 13 | Brown Creeper | 4 | Northern Cardinal | 77 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 38 | Winter Wren | 1 | . | . |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 9 | Carolina Wren | 2 | . | . |
All above images copyright 2021 by the respective photographers as listed below.
Rhonda Hogan
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at a private residence in Sioux City (with a House Sparrow)
Rex Rundquist
Brown Creeper at Bacon Creek
Three Merlin images all from Bacon Creek
Common Mergansers in the Missouri River from the Chataqua Bike Trail
Red-tailed Hawk from the Chataqua Bike Trail
Randall D. Williams
White-breasted Nuthatch from Stone Park
Bald Eagle from the Big Sioux River near Stone Park
Red-winged Blackbirds near Stone Park
Marla Kerr
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Jan Null
Northern Cardinal
Below video copyright 2021 by Jan Null, used with permission.
Yankton Christmas Bird Count
sunday, 19 December 2021
The Yankton Christmas Bird Count took place on Sunday, December 19, 2021. Thirty-two people, from teenagers to seniors, from Yankton, Vermillion, Armour, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota; South Sioux City and Wayne, Nebraska; and Sioux City, Iowa enjoyed a cool but sunny day to be out counting birds. A total of 112,056 birds of 78 different species of birds which is not quite as good as the 82 species seen last year which had tied the all-time species number high of 82 set in 2012.
Highlights of the day: Golden Eagle, Bobwhite Quail, Glaucous Gull, and Western Grebe.
Record high counts: Snow goose-100,000; Ross’s Goose-200; Hooded Merganser-12; Rock Pigeon-1,020; American White Pelican-3 (injured wings); Rough-legged Hawk-20; and Yellow-rumped Warbler-14
Species missed this year that are frequently seen include: Northern Shoveler, Blue-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Ruddy Duck, Great Blue Heron, Brown-headed Cowbird, Lapland Longspur, and Snow Bunting.
Compiled and reported by Roger Dietrich
Total Species Counted: 78
Total Birds Counted: 112,056
| BIRD | NUMBER | BIRD | NUMBER | BIRD | NUMBER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow Goose | 100,000 | Killdeer | 3 | Black-billed Magpie | 1 |
| Ross's Goose | 200 | Ring-billed Gull | 250 | American Crow | 472 |
| Greater White-fronted Goose | 4 | Herring Gull | 20 | Horned Lark | 4 |
| Cackling Goose | 40 | Glaucous Gull | 1 | Black-capped Chickadee | 76 |
| Canada Goose | 1265 | Iceland/Thayer's Gull | 1 | Red-breasted Nuthatch | 5 |
| Wood Duck | 1 | American White Pelican | 3 | White-breasted Nuthatch | 41 |
| Gadwall | 65 | Golden Eagle | 1 | Brown Creeper | 5 |
| American Wigeon | 4 | Northern Harrier | 1 | Golden-crowned Kinglet | 5 |
| Mallard | 1100 | Sharp-shinned Hawk | 2 | Eastern Bluebird | 16 |
| Northern Pintail | 1 | Cooper's Hawk | 2 | American Robin | 642 |
| Green-winged Teal | 4 | Bald Eagle | 73 | European Starling | 1486 |
| Canvasback | 16 | Red-tailed Hawk | 41 | Cedar Waxwing | 20 |
| Long-tailed Duck | 1 | Rough-legged Hawk | 20 | House Sparrow | 333 |
| Bufflehead | 6 | Eastern Screech-Owl | 5 | House Finch | 72 |
| Common Goldeneye | 400 | Great Horned Owl | 2 | Purple Finch | 12 |
| Hooded Merganser | 12 | Long-eared Owl | 2 | Pine Siskin | 2 |
| Common Merganser | 1500 | Northern Saw-whet Owl | 2 | American Goldfinch | 41 |
| Red-breasted Merganser | 2 | Belted Kingfisher | 3 | Fox Sparrow | 2 |
| Northern Bobwhite | 12 | Red-bellied Woodpecker | 26 | American Tree Sparrow | 185 |
| Wild Turkey | 132 | Downy Woodpecker | 26 | Dark-eyed Junco | 535 |
| Ring-necked Pheasant | 6 | Hairy Woodpecker | 6 | Spotted Towhee | 2 |
| Western Grebe | 1 | Northern Flicker | 27 | Western Meadowlark | 1 |
| Rock Pigeon | 1020 | American Kestrel | 5 | Red-winged Blackbird | 1229 |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | 105 | Merlin | 2 | Rusty Blackbird | 1 |
| Mourning Dove | 19 | Northern Shrike | 1 | Yellow-rumped Warbler | 14 |
| American Coot | 360 | Blue Jay | 34 | Northern Cardinal | 18 |
Ida Grove Christmas Bird Count
sunday, 2 january 2022
The Ida Grove Christmas Bird Count took place on Sunday, January 2, 2022. Ten people in the field and one at their home participated in the count this year. Notable observations include: Northern Bobwhite, Gray Partridge, Northern Shrike, Winter Wren, Gray Catbird, and Rusty Blackbird. One Snowy Owl was seen during Count Week and later found deceased.
Compiled and Reported by: Don Poggensee
Total Species Counted: 56
Total Birds Counted: 4722
| BIRD | NUMBER | BIRD | NUMBER | BIRD | NUMBER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow Goose | 1 | Rock Pigeon | 169 | White-breasted Nuthatch | 17 |
| Cackling Goose | 14 | Eurasian Collared-Dove | 24 | Brown Creeper | 1 |
| Canada Goose | 1560 | Mourning Dove | 1 | Winter Wren | 1 |
| Trumpeter Swan | 16 | Eastern Screech-Owl | 2 | American Robin | 23 |
| Mallard | 92 | Great Horned Owl | 1 | Gray Catbird | 1 |
| Northern Pintail | 1 | Barred Owl | 1 | European Starling | 581 |
| Redhead | 2 | Long-eared Owl | 1 | Cedar Waxwing | 1 |
| Lesser Scaup | 2 | Northern Saw-whet Owl | 3 | American Tree Sparrow | 91 |
| Common Goldeneye | 2 | Red-bellied Woodpecker | 8 | Dark-eyed Junco | 249 |
| Common Merganser | 2 | Downy Woodpecker | 12 | Harris's Sparrow | 1 |
| Northern Bobwhite | 50 | Hairy Woodpecker | 2 | Northern Cardinal | 22 |
| Ring-necked Pheasant | 216 | Northern Flicker | 9 | Rusty Blackbird | 11 |
| Gray Partridge | 3 | American Kestrel | 1 | House Finch | 50 |
| Wild Turkey | 1 | Northern Shrike | 1 | Purple Finch | 1 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | Blue Jay | 159 | Common Redpoll | 1 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 1 | American Crow | 161 | Pine Siskin | 1 |
| Bald Eagle | 25 | Horned Lark | 91 | American Goldfinch | 52 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 54 | Black-capped Chickadee | 5 | House Sparrow | 851 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 13 | Red-breasted Nuthatch | 2 | . | . |
All above images copyright 2022 by Jan Null, used with permission.
Ida Grove CBC January 2,2022
Common Redpoll
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Observing the Northern Saw-whet Owl
Below video copyright 2022 by Jan Null, used with permission.