Back to the BWBS	Annual Summary for 2000
	ASNH Winter Bird Survey

2000 Backyard Winter Bird Survey Results

It's been an unusual fall at bird feeders across New Hampshire. Here at Audubon we have received numerous calls about the lack of birds at feeders. Explanations for their absence range from the population declines to the mild fall to an abundance of natural food, but whatever the reason, the upcoming Christmas Bird Count is likely to shed some light on the issue. And following that, results from the 2001 Backyard Winter Bird Survey will also help us decipher what might be going on with New Hampshire's common feeder birds. There was certainly no suggestion of any declines from the 2000 survey data, [see complete 2000 tabular results]. If one was to directly compare this year's numbers to those of the last few years, however, you might note that many widespread species (nuthatches, chickadees, cardinals) seemed less abundant in February 2000. However, this fails to take into account a significant drop in the number of observers, to 887 (the lowest since 1991). If numbers are divided by observer effort, all these species were just fine in 2000. By the time you all got around to counting last winter, it actually was winter. Up until mid-January, however, most of New Hampshire had experienced temperatures well above normal, and there was no official snowfall recorded south of the White Mountains until mid-January! In mid-February, however, there was snow on the ground and temperatures tended to be below the freezing mark, although the days were sunny. As I said above, the numbers of birds reported on the survey usually showed no dramatic differences from past years, and I'll spend the rest of this letter discussing the exceptions. The winter of 1999-2000 was another irruptive year for many northern finches. The invasion was headlined by Pine Grosbeaks and Common Redpolls, with record numbers of Bohemian Waxwings thrown in for good measure. The first two species tend to irrupt synchronously, averaging two years between appearances. Thus, while there are always a few around, especially in the north, don't expect any this time around. Instead, you might want to think good thoughts for the return of Purple Finches and American Goldfinches. These species show less dramatic fluctuations, but the data suggest that they too have a two year cycle. I guess we'll just have to wait until February to find out if I'm right (although I note, as this is being written, that there have been a few more Purple Finch reports than last fall). We don't usually think of junco and tree sparrows as being irruptive, but over the last few years they have shown a pattern very similar to that of the Purple Finch. Both were down on this last survey, and might very well be up on the next one. Some authorities wonder if this pattern has more to do with the availability of bare ground (where these species feed) than some natural variation in food supply. So what else was new in the new millennium (depending on who you ask)? The other big news is that the increasing species continue to increase. Wild Turkeys, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and Eastern Bluebirds all reached record highs in 2000. The graph below shows numbers of turkeys divided by number of observers, and the trend speaks for itself. The graph for Red-bellied Woodpecker would look pretty similar; note that there was only one in 1995. American Robins are also becoming downright predictable winter yard birds in much of New Hampshire. This year's total was the second highest ever, and the highest count before 1997 was a mere 72! Also interesting was a new high count for Brown Creeper. Creepers don't often visit feeders, being more likely to search for insects in bark, but it is interesting to note that participants in Cornell's Project FeederWatch also noted more creepers last winter than usual. What was going on? Only the creepers know for sure!   To close, seeing that I'm running out of space, there was the usual smattering of unexpected surprises last February (is there such a thing as an expected surprise?!). Topping the list was the first record of Northern Pintail for the survey. It was seen in Rockingham County, where the deep freeze hadn't quite affected all possible bodies of water. This year also marked only the second time that Eastern Screech-Owl and Horned Lark were recorded on the survey, both of which were in Merrimack County. In the north, a Hoary Redpoll was in Carroll County, only the third time this species has been found during the survey. Finally, the record high of seven Bald Eagles (not your typical feeder bird!) was split between Coos, Grafton, and Belknap Counties, just going to show that the highlights of winter birding know no geographic boundaries! As usual, thanks to all of you for your participation in this important project, and additional thanks to those of you who sent in a contribution. With your help, we'll continue to learn about winter bird populations in New Hampshire for years to come. Keep up the good work!