St Marys Christmas Bird Count Results Jan 1, 2018

Since 1900, the Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) uses volunteers to track bird populations by holding local counts across North and South America. Counts are held between December 14 and January 5 and are composed of volunteers of all birding levels to count birds in the field and at their feeders. Volunteers count birds and tally them by species within a 15 mile diameter count circle.  The St Marys circle is centered at the intersection of K-63 & US-24.  It encompasses parts of Jackson, Pottawatomie, Shawnee, and Wabaunsee counties and includes the cities of Belvue, Delia, Rossville, and St Marys,

After a 61 year hiatus, the St Marys CBC was reinitiated for the 2017-18 season on January 1, 2018.  It was last conducted in St Marys in 1954, 1955, and 1956.  At the time only 2 to 3 people conducted the count.  This season we had 18 people participate.

On the day of the count we had clear skies and little wind.  Day time temperatures started at -9 F and only rose to 13 F.  There was no snow on the ground. Most bodies of water were frozen but some moving water was open. A total of 18 people participated. We had 10 groups of people who birded in the field but only 2 groups that watched their feeders.  We really could use more people to watch their feeders.

We had a total of 57,880 birds counted composed of 88 species and 3 subspecies for the count. There were 10 count week species (seen 3 days before or after the count day but not on count day). The most abundantly seen species was the Snow/Ross’s geese at 38,500. 

A whopping 41 new species were seen on this year’s count that weren’t seen on previous years’ counts.  This can be attributed to habitat changes like the addition of lakes at the Jeffrey Energy Center which gave us many of our waterfowl species. There have also been population increases of birds that were rare back in the 1950s such as bald eagle, wild turkey, and goose species.  Furthermore we had larger participation this year than in the past.

We had high counts for most species on the count as compared to previous counts.  This isn’t surprising as we had more participation.

Our “best” bird was the turkey vulture.  They generally don’t winter in northern Kansas.

Some species that were expected but missed were pine siskin and purple finch.

I’ve composed two tables.  One has counts for this year and the other displays data from all count years.

The following table contains counts for the year.  CW designates species not seen on the count day but seen 3 days before or after the count day.

Species	Total
Snow goose	3711
Ross's goose	CW
Snow/Ross's goose	38500
Greater White-fronted goose	CW
Cackling goose	101
Canada goose	1625
Cackling/Canada goose	2300
Trumpeter swan	14
Tundra swan	CW
Northern shoveler	2
Gadwall	7
American Wigeon	3
Mallard	2023
Northern pintail	1
Green-winged teal	3
Ring-necked duck	13
Greater scaup	CW
Lesser scaup	21
Bufflehead	5
Common goldeneye	562
Hooded merganser	28
Common merganser	49
duck sp.	11
Northern bobwhite	40
Greater prairie-chicken	1
Wild turkey	7
Pied-bill grebe	CW
Great blue heron	2
Turkey Vulture	1
Northern harrier	38
Sharp-shinned hawk	1
Cooper's hawk	3
Sharp-shinned/Cooper's hawk	1
Bald eagle	68
Red-shouldered hawk	5
Red-tailed hawk	130
Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis)	1
Red-tailed hawk (Harlan's)	1
Rough-legged hawk	3
Buteo sp.	2
Ring-billed gull	CW
Rock pigeon	115
Eurasian collared-dove	43
Mourning dove	76
Great horned owl	CW
Barred owl	3
Belted kingfisher	4
Red-bellied woodpecker	63
Yellow-bellied sapsucker	7
Downy woodpecker	35
Hairy woodpecker	2
Northern flicker	53
Pileated woodpecker	2
American Kestrel	12
Merlin	1
Prairie falcon	2
falcon sp.	1
Loggerhead shrike	CW
Loggerhead/Northern shrike	1
Blue jay	52
American crow	199
Horned lark	145
Black-capped chickadee	58
Tufted titmouse	20
White-breasted nuthatch	12
Brown creeper	2
Winter wren	3
Carolina wren	16
Golden-crowned kinglet	1
Ruby-crowned kinglet	1
Eastern bluebird	90
American robin	183
Northern mockingbird	5
European starling	2113
Cedar waxwing	36
Lapland longspur	401
Yellow-rumped warbler	10
American tree sparrow	1446
Fox sparrow	1
Dark-eyed junco	1064
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)	1
White-crowned sparrow	2
Harris's sparrow	208
White-throated sparrow	CW
Savannah sparrow	1
Song sparrow	36
Lincoln's sparrow	2
Spotted towhee	2
Northern cardinal	207
Western/Eastern meadowlark	974
Red-winged blackbird	437
Brown-headed cowbird	CW
Brewer's blackbird	3
Common grackle	6
House finch	80
American goldfinch	88
House sparrow	272
Total	57880

I think it’s interesting to compare this year to previous years. Zero denotes count week species.

Species	1954	1955	1956	2017
Snow goose				3711
Ross's goose				0
Snow/Ross's goose				38500
Greater White-fronted goose				0
Cackling goose				101
Canada goose				1625
Cackling/Canada goose				2300
Trumpeter swan				14
Tundra swan				0
Northern shoveler				2
Gadwall				7
American Wigeon				3
Mallard	0	650	65	2023
Northern pintail				1
Green-winged teal				3
Ring-necked duck				13
Greater scaup				0
Lesser scaup				21
Bufflehead				5
Common goldeneye				562
Hooded merganser				28
Common merganser				49
duck sp.				11
Northern Bobwhite	0	26	50	40
Ring-necked Pheasant			1
Greater Prairie-Chicken	1	55	27	1
Wild turkey				7
Pied-bill grebe				0
Great blue heron				2
Turkey Vulture				1
Northern Harrier	4	2	0	38
Sharp-shinned hawk				1
Cooper's Hawk		1		3
Sharp-shinned/Cooper's hawk				1
Bald eagle				68
Red-shouldered hawk				5
Red-tailed Hawk	11	10	6	130
Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis)				1
Red-tailed Hawk (Harlan's)	0			1
Rough-legged hawk				3
Buteo sp.				2
Ring-billed gull				0
Rock pigeon				115
Eurasian collared-dove				43
Mourning Dove	36	13	56	76
Great Horned Owl	6	4	1	0
Barred Owl		2	1	3
Belted Kingfisher	2		1	4
Red-headed Woodpecker	1
Red-bellied Woodpecker	19	36	16	63
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker			1	7
Downy Woodpecker	17	25	8	35
Hairy Woodpecker	3	2	3	2
Northern Flicker	3			53
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)	36	23	2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)	5	1	2
Pileated woodpecker				2
American Kestrel	4	1	2	12
Merlin				1
Prairie falcon				2
falcon sp.				1
Loggerhead Shrike	0	1	2	0
Loggerhead/Northern shrike				1
Blue Jay	9	11	4	52
American Crow	39	32	39	199
Horned Lark	36	40	19	145
Horned Lark (Eastern dark Group)			1
Black-capped Chickadee	103	106	27	58
Tufted Titmouse	19	31	8	20
White-breasted nuthatch				12
Brown Creeper	5	1		2
Winter wren				3
Carolina Wren	4	3	1	16
Golden-crowned Kinglet	0			1
Ruby-crowned kinglet				1
Eastern Bluebird	26	7	2	90
Townsend's Solitaire	1		2
American Robin	194	19	6	183
Brown Thrasher	0
Northern mockingbird				5
European Starling	29	67	53	2113
Cedar waxwing				36
Lapland Longspur	92		300	401
Smith's Longspur	1	0
Yellow-rumped warbler				10
American Tree Sparrow	342	336	270	1446
Field Sparrow	1
Fox sparrow				1
Dark-eyed junco				1064
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)	153	93	41
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)	3		1	1
Dark-eyed Junco (Pink-sided)		1
White-crowned Sparrow	2	0		2
Harris's Sparrow	186	79	57	208
White-throated sparrow				0
Savannah sparrow				1
Song Sparrow	37	4	6	36
Lincoln's sparrow				2
Spotted Towhee	17		5	2
Northern Cardinal	66	107	87	207
Western Meadowlark	6	1	143
Eastern Meadowlark	4	1
Western/Eastern Meadowlark	29	6	3	974
Red-winged Blackbird		212	1500	437
Brown-headed cowbird				0
Brewer's blackbird				3
Common Grackle		0	0	6
House finch				80
Pine Siskin	18	11
American Goldfinch	41	15	16	88
House Sparrow	79	85	79	272
	1690	2120	2914	57880

Fox Sparrow Feeding 2018

In the middle of November 2018 this fox sparrow showed up in my Topeka Kansas yard. In the 25 years I’ve been feeding birds in my yard, this is the first time I’ve had a Fox Sparrow stay for more than a couple days. This one has been here for a few weeks now.
As you can see it likes to feed on the ground. And it likes to be near cover. When i first saw this bird it always stayed within inches of brush. But when I recorded this video it was coming out in the open a little more. I especially love how it scratches with both feet at once. To attract it and other sparrows I sprinkle cracked corn and white millet on the ground under my aromatic sumac shrub.
This fox sparrow is the red variety which breeds across northern Canada. The red variety is rusty brown with a gray head. Note the central breast spot of this heavily streaked sparrow. Also note its size- it’s larger than a junco. They winter in the eastern US and Topeka is in the western part of their winter range.
All of our native sparrows are ground feeders. To attract them to your yard, feed them near cover. If you don’t have natural cover, construct a brush pile and feed around it. I’ve included some links to reference books in the video description.

*Favorite Reference Books*
Sparrows of the US & Canada: https://amzn.to/2RoKaP6
Backyard Bird Feeding Bible: https://amzn.to/2KPYMV5
Guide to Kansas Birds: https://amzn.to/2Ss9jbL

Why are House Sparrows an Invasive Species Where Introduced 2018

Find the answers to the following questions.
What is a house sparrow?
How do you identify house sparrows?
Why are House sparrows an invasive species where they’ve been introduced?
How do house sparrows outcompete native cavity nesting birds?
How can you control house sparrows?
What effects do house sparrows have on native birds?
I'll share some of my experiences with house sparrows as well.

Learn House Sparrow Control: http://bit.ly/HouseSparrowControl

How to Kill Bush Honeysuckle with a Mattock 2018

Learn how to use only a mattock to kill bush honeysuckle – no herbicide required. Bush honeysuckle is a highly invasive plant introduced to North America. It eliminates all of the native plants of the forest floor. I demonstrate how to uproot the plants using a mattock. With the mattock you cut off the lateral roots and uproot the honeysuckle shrubs.


*Purchase Items similar to those in the video*
Truper Cutter Mattock: https://amzn.to/2FM2pg7

Truper Pick Mattock: https://amzn.to/2PK5x0k

Guess What Landed on this Sparrow Trap

It’s November 10 2018 and I’ve been trapping invasive house sparrows since the first of the month. The trap is right outside my home office window. I looked out and was taken aback at the sight of a red shouldered hawk on top of the trap. Who knew a sparrow trap would attract them? I had to go outside to scare it away and got within ten feet before it flew. Wow. such a cool bird to see so close. This is only the 5th time I’ve ever seen a red shouldered hawk in my yard. And last winter was the first time. But their numbers are increasing and I expect to see them visit more often.

Platform Feeders Attract More Birds

These birds were found in my Topeka Kansas yard on Nov 4, 2018.

My favorite method for serving sunflower seeds is with a hanging platform feeder as it attracts ground feeding birds as well as birds that feed in trees. I made this feeder but similar ones can be purchased. I placed a link for a similar feeder in the video description.

Here we have a female cardinal, note the crest and the brown color. The smaller streaked bird is a house finch. Listen for the red-bellied woodpecker and the white throated sparrow.

I believe this is an Oregon dark-eyed junco. Note the dark head, brown back, and reddish brown sides. The Oregon race is normally found in the west but a few do venture east.

Here we have a slate colored dark-eyed junco. This is a male as it is all gray except for its white underside. The slate colored junco is our most widespread race and winters all over the United States.

What a nice surprise to see a white-throated sparrow. I don’t see these that often except during migration. But some do stay here in the winter.

This female cardinal sure doesn’t seem to want to share with this female house sparrow.

She isn’t too keen on sharing with this black capped chickadee either.

Remember to place your feeder near cover so the birds can easily escape predators. And don’t forget a predator guard.

*Similar Items in video*

Platform Feeder: https://amzn.to/2REUaTT

Baffle: https://amzn.to/2t1dAZw

Shepherd’s hook: https://amzn.to/2MyqtSQ

How to Attract Warblers with a Spray Sprinkler 2018

How to Attract Warblers with a Spray Sprinkler 2018

The sprinkler I used is a Gardena spray sprinkler.  I like it because it creates a mist.  I’ve had this sprinkler for over 10 years and it still works like a charm. Look for a link in the description for this sprinkler.

To use the sprinkler, attach a hose to it, push the spike end into the ground near some tall vegetation, and turn on the hose.  If there are birds in the area they will be attracted to the mist almost immediately.

All of the footage of birds in this video have been slowed down to half the original speed to make it a bit easier to watch these fast moving birds.

On September 20 2018 in my Topeka Kansas yard I noticed small warbler like birds flying around in the trees.  For the past 5 days we were having temperatures in the 90s with strong south winds.  I decided to set up my small spray sprinkler next to some tall vegetation to see if it would attract the birds for better looks.  I was amazed at the number of warblers coming to bathe and drink in the mist.

I counted more than ten at one time in the area of the sprinkler.

I believe this is an orange-crowned warbler based on the fact that it is olive above and below with no eyering or wingbars. Furthermore it appears to have a relatively short tail. It may also be yellow warbler as it does seem to have some yellow below.  I’m no warbler expert so please let me know if you come up with a different identification.

These two warblers appear more uniform yellow. But I still believe they are orange crowned warblers because of their uniform color.  They also have a relatively short tail.  What species do you think they are?

This warbler is an easy one to identify.  It’s a male Wilson’s warbler.  The black cap and yellow body are its signature characteristics.  It’s always a treat to see one of these as we Kansans only see them during migration.

I believe this warbler is a yellow warbler.  Yellow warblers are quite variable in color.  Some are grayish, while others are brownish but some are bright yellow.  Note this bird’s brownish back and pale yellow breast with faint streaking.  It also has a relatively long tail.

Sadly I wasn’t prepared to record all the warblers that visited the sprinkler.  I did not get footage of the black-throated green or the northern parulas.  Good luck in using this sprinkler to attract warblers to your yard!



Get the Gardena Spray Sprinkler at https://amzn.to/2zt0cRi



Get Books on Warblers

The Warbler Guide: https://amzn.to/2zs3Zyd

A Field Guide to Warblers of North America: https://amzn.to/2QY9XgZ