5 January 2002 -- Count Summary
(Count History: January
1978 - January 2002)
Species reported Count Day: 117 (+ 2 Count Week)
Total individual birds
reported Count Day: 21,716
5 January 2002. The heavy rains and winds started before sunrise and continued through the morning. It was absolutely horrendous. Throughout the count circle, birds failed to materialize, preferring to stay under cover. (David Veselka, Area Leader for the Memorial Drive corridor, noted that one of the advantages of an urban count area is that when conditions are unbirdable, refuge at Starbucks is close at hand.) Many potential observers, who had promised to participate, also failed to materialize for the same reason. Still, we had 64 observers in the field, one of our highest totals ever. On the other hand, just when you'd think lots of folks would relish participating from the comfort of their homes, our Feeder Watcher numbers dropped from last year's all-time high of 67 to only 33. Go figure! (So all you stay-at-home folks who live in the count circle — please help us out next year!)
The rains abated in the afternoon, bringing hope of a burst of bird activity as so often happens just after a storm; but in many parts of the circle, the birds remained hunkered down. Thus, numbers of individuals observed were much lower than usual for many species. For example, in the mostly forested Houston Arboretum & Nature Center and nearby Memorial Park, we had only 3 Yellow-rumped Warblers and no Pileated Woodpeckers. Greater Yellowlegs was missed for only the second time in the 25 year count history (likely at least 1 of the 3 "yellowlegs sp." was a Greater). On the other hand our total species count was 117 (recent years' totals average roughly 120). Among them were Hooded Merganser, Merlin, Crested Caracara, American Woodcock, Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick's Wren, Eastern Towhee, and 3 species of hummingbird (Rufous, Broad-tailed, and Black-chinned). And a Peregrine Falcon was reported near the Galleria during Count Week. Not bad for a count within the Houston city limits, especially considering the adverse weather!
News from around the circle: The sad demise of so many pines just south of I-10 a few years ago from drought and Pine Bark Beetles may have created some habitat for Red-headed Woodpeckers; this year one adult was in an area where we have not previously found them. Patches of good habitat continue to disappear around the circle, especially north of I-10 and east of Addicks Reservoir, and south of Westheimer and west of Eldridge. On the other hand, two Harris County Flood Control District projects — one east of Fairbanks-North Houston and north of Fairbanks-White Oak, the other just west of Beltway 8 and south of Bellaire Boulevard — are creating ponds and wetland vegetation that are being used by birds.
--Bob Honig, Compiler
(Buffalo Bayou Christmas Bird Count web pages are hosted by the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center)