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THIS WEEK at HILTON POND |
 11th Annual York/Rock Hill Christmas Bird Count (2001) As usual, the York/Rock Hill (S.C.) Christmas Bird Count--which includes the waters and woods of Hilton Pond Center--was a focal point for the last full week of the year. Christmas Counts are conducted across the nation under the auspices of the National Audubon Society in an attempt to census winter birds. Although factors such as the number of observers or time spent in the field may vary from year to year, some counts have been conducted so many times that they are reliable indicators of trends in bird populations. Eight intrepid birders started the 2001 York/Rock Hill Count at 6:30 am on 22 December, combing the myriad habitats that fall within a circle 15 miles in diameter and centered where Tools Fork Creek flows under SC Hwy. 5. (Click here for a complete description of the Count circle. Despite good weather conditions (clear, windless skies and starting temperatures in the mid-20's), we had an abyssmally low total of 1,915 individual birds, far lower than the 11-year average of 7,253. The total of 70 species seen was less than last year's record of 80 but exceeded the 11-year average of 64. Totals for 3 species--Brown Creeper, Horned Grebe, and Green-winged Teal--either tied or set a new record for individuals seen. One factor that led to a very low count was the near absence of flocks of blackbirds such as Common Grackles and Brown-headed Cowbirds. Three new species were added during the Count: an Eastern Screech-Owl that was heard but not seen, a flock of ten Wild Turkeys roosting in tree tops along the York Comprehensive High School Nature Trail, and a Rufous Hummingbird at a feeder near Winthrop University's farm campus. Two species were seen during the count week but not on the day of the count: Dunlin (19 & 20 Dec) and Forster's Tern (19 Dec). Listed below are the 123 species that might reasonably be expected in the count circle; 105 of these have been recorded at least once since the count began in 1991. Also listed are the numbers for each species seen on the 2001 Count. Participants in the 2001 York/Rock Hill Christmas Bird Count were: Bill Hilton Jr. (compiler), Susan Holland, Geoff Huber, Faye Metzl, Bob Olson, Jewel Reavis, Jim Stewart, and Steve Tracy, with newspaper reporter Jason Cato covering the event for part of the day. If you enjoy "This Week at Hilton Pond," please help Support Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History. It's painless, and YOU can make a difference! You may wish to consult our Index of all nature topics covered since February 2000. |
