The 2014 Wolfville CBC was held on Saturday Dec 20, a relatively mild overcast day though with a cold wind. Due to the warm Dec., moving water was still open, still water only partly frozen depending on location. The final tally is 77 species, and an estimated 42,380 individuals. The total was bolstered by the count of over 19,000 Eur. Starlings, many in the agricultural area around Canard.
If you consider the circle roughly divided into 3 areas, northern (dykelands, agricultural and shore), central (the towns, Cornwallis River and sewage ponds) and southern (South Mountain), the following are the highlights from each broad area.
Northern: An Eurasian Wigeon as well as a Merlin, N. Pintail, Coopers Hawk, Lesser BB Gull and American Wigeon.
Central: The Dusky Flycatcher, and Wilsons Warbler, two rarities, plus a Great Blue Heron, Green Wing Teal, Amer. Coot, Pine Warbler, Common Yellow-throat, Chipping Sparrow, Rusty Blackbird, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, N. Shrike and Great Horned Owl.
Southern: Our only Common Redpoll and Bernard’s Barred Owl.
There were 5 birds added during the count week period: Blue-headed Vireo, Kingfisher, Gadwall, Eastern Phoebe and Wood Duck.
These results are due to the efforts of many people. There were 58 field observers in 31 parties covering 24 areas, and 62 feeder watchers watching 49 yards. The field observers invested over 150 hours and travelled almost 1000 km, over 165 on foot. The feeder watchers spent almost 100 hours at their posts. Once again I’d like to thank Liz and Richard Stern for graciously hosting the tally pot luck, Judy Tufts for co-ordinating the food, Jim Wolford for looking after the feeder watchers, and most importantly all the folks who participated in this annual citizen science adventure.
Alison Bogan
| CBC Wolfville 2014 | |||
| Species | Field Birds | Feeder Birds | Total Birds |
| Great Blue Heron | 1 | 1 | |
| Canada Goose | 1055 | 135 | 1190 |
| Wood Duck | CW | CW | |
| Gadwall | CW | CW | |
| Northern Shoveler | 2 | 2 | |
| Green-winged Teal | 1 | 1 | |
| Black Duck | 2339 | 230 | 2569 |
| Mallard | 967 | 51 | 1018 |
| Eurasian Wigeon | 1 | 1 | |
| Amer. Wigeon | 4 | 4 | |
| N. Pintail | 2 | 2 | |
| Lesser Scaup | 3 | 3 | |
| White-wing Scoter | 18 | 18 | |
| Com. Goldeneye | 13 | 13 | |
| Com. Merganser | 24 | 24 | |
| Hooded Merganser | 4 | 4 | |
| Bald Eagle – Ad | 203 | 17 | 220 |
| Bald Eagle – Imm | 135 | 8 | 143 |
| Bald Eagle – Unk | 44 | 44 | |
| Northern Harrier | 14 | 2 | 16 |
| Sharp-Sh. Hawk | 9 | 9 | |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 1 | 1 | |
| Northern Goshawk | 1 | 1 | |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 98 | 10 | 108 |
| Merlin | 1 | 1 | |
| Peregrine Falcon | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Rough-leg. Hawk | 3 | 3 | |
| Ring -n Pheasant | 130 | 27 | 157 |
| Ruffed Grouse | 1 | 1 | |
| Amer. Coot | 1 | 1 | |
| Ring-Billed Gull | 207 | 207 | |
| Herring Gull | 2698 | 2698 | |
| Iceland Gull | 6 | 6 | |
| Glaucous Gull | 1 | 1 | |
| Great B/B Gull | 697 | 34 | 731 |
| Lesser B/B Gull | 1 | 1 | |
| Gull sp. immature | 83 | 83 | |
| Rock Pigeon | 436 | 4 | 440 |
| Mourning Dove | 1216 | 329 | 1545 |
| Great Horned Owl | 2 | 2 | |
| Barred Owl | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Belted Kingfisher | CW | CW | |
| Downy Woodpecker | 67 | 27 | 94 |
| Hairy Woodpecker | 40 | 20 | 60 |
| Northern Flicker | 47 | 19 | 66 |
| Pileated Woodpecker | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| RBellied Woodpecker | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Dusky Flycatcher | 1 | 1 | |
| Eastern Phoebe | CW | CW | |
| Horned Lark | 40 | 40 | |
| Blue Jay | 943 | 213 | 1156 |
| American Crow | 3813 | 434 | 4247 |
| Commom Raven | 299 | 13 | 312 |
| Bl.-Cap Chickadee | 1386 | 328 | 1714 |
| Red-br. Nuthatch | 19 | 5 | 24 |
| White-br. Nuthatch | 56 | 24 | 80 |
| Brown Creeper | 4 | 4 | |
| Golden-Cr. Kinglet | 46 | 46 | |
| Amer. Robin | 243 | 2 | 245 |
| Mockingbird | 2 | 2 | |
| Bohemian Waxwing | 39 | 39 | |
| Cedar Waxwing | 8 | 20 | 28 |
| Northern Shrike | 1 | 1 | |
| Bl.Hd. Vireo | CW | CW | |
| Euro. Starling | 14949 | 4220 | 19169 |
| Pine Warbler | 1 | 1 | |
| Common Yellowthroat | 1 | 1 | |
| Wilson Warbler | 1 | 1 | |
| Amer. Tree Sparrow | 122 | 5 | 127 |
| Chipping Sparrow | 1 | 1 | |
| Savannah Sparrow | 19 | 19 | |
| Song sparrow | 288 | 17 | 305 |
| White-thr. Sparrow | 107 | 8 | 115 |
| Fox Sparrow | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 768 | 190 | 958 |
| Snow Bunting | 48 | 48 | |
| Northern Cardinal | 35 | 23 | 58 |
| Common Grackle | 11 | 11 | |
| Rusty Blackbird | 1 | 1 | |
| Purple Finch | 16 | 5 | 21 |
| Common Redpoll | 1 | 1 | |
| Pine Siskin | 42 | 19 | 61 |
| American Goldfinch | 1354 | 537 | 1891 |
| Evening Grosbeak | 24 | 15 | 39 |
| House Sparrow | 71 | 35 | 106 |
| Sparrow species | 1 | 1 | |
| Total Birds | 35349 | 7031 | 42380 |
| Total Species | |||
| Hrs on foot | 86.25 | ||
| Hrs by car | 65.2 | ||
| Total Hrs | 151.45 | ||
| Km on foot | 166.75 | ||
| Km by car | 818.35 | ||
| Total kms | 985.1 |