Oxford Audubon Society:

COUNT SUMMARY

• Date: Dec. 14, 2002, sunrise=7:54 am (EST); sunset= 5:17 pm
• Official Count Times: 0700 a.m. to 1700 p.m.
• Temperature: 30 to 38 degrees F. Humidity = 75%; dewpoint = 30%; Pressure = 30.00 steady;
• Wind: calm 5.0 mph WSW. Precipitation = .00 in.
• Water: 25% Open (not frozen),
• AM Cloudy; PM Cloudy; Visability = UNLIMITED.
• Observers: 23 in 13 parties (non-owling) + 2 hour owling
• Total Party Hours: 140
• Party Miles: 238 @40 hours and 60 miles on foot, 20 hours and 190 miles by car
• Total Species: 58
• Total Individuals: 5187
• Report filed by Lawrence W. Sherman, 12/16/2002
• Paid Participants ($6 each) [21=$126.00](2 first timers=$12.00 paid by Oxford Audubon) = $138.00 total participation fee.

Weather From http://www.wunderground.com/US/OH/Cincinnati.html Christmas Bird Count 2002 participants included 23 people, of which 2 were first timers. Oxford Audubon paid their participation fees ($6.00 each) while all 'old timers' contributed $6.00 each. A special note of thanks to each of the 13 "trip leaders": Debra Bowles, Alan Cady, Sharon Edwards, Hardy and Barbara Eshbaugh, Ann Geddes, Bell Heck, Dave Osborne, Bill Pratt, Jim Reid, Leslye Sherman, Casey Tucker, and Ernie Wengler. Partipants includeed:

• Debra Bowles, Oxford, OH
• Alan Cady, Oxford, OH
• Jim Clark, Oxford, OH
• +Susie Crate, Oxford, OH
• Bob Drake (at the birdfeeder), Oxford, OH
• Sharon Edwards, Oxford, OH
• Hardy and Barb Eshbaugh, Oxford, OH
• Ann Geddes, Oxford, OH
• Bill Heck, Oxford, OH
• Chuck Holliday, Hamilton, OH
• Jack Keegan, Oxford, OH
• Bruce Magurn,(at the birdfeeder), Oxford, OH
• Dave Osborne, Oxford, OH
• Bill Pratt, Oxford, OH
• Jim Reid, Oxford, OH
• Larry and Leslye Sherman, Oxford, OH
• Ryan Stander, Oxford, OH
• Beverly Thomas, Oxford, OH
• Casey Tucker, Oxford, OH
• Carolyn and Ernie Wengler, Oxford, OH
• Ray White, Oxford, OH
• +Bill Wilson, Oxford, OH

Twenty-three birdwatchers were on hand for the 103rd Annual 2002 Oxford Christmas Bird Count on December 14th. Moderate weather (30 to 38 degrees and partly cloudy) seemed to limit both the birdwatchers and the birds. Whereas last year we had 32 people, this year we had 23 birdwatchers who took to the field, a significant decrease, certainly not as many as our all time high of 51 four years ago. They came up with a total of 58 species, 7 less than last year and well short of the record 74 species seen in 1974. The number of birds tallied was 5181 individuals, considerably below our nine year average of 7143. Of special note among the sightings were 1060 European Starlings [our most frequent species!],followed 791 Mallard Ducks, 768 American Robbins, 361 House Sparrows, 298 Mourning doves, and 238 Canada Geese. Other species observed in our count included 1 Pied-billed Grebe, 2 Great Blue Herons, 3 Black Vultures, 4 Turkey Vultures, 9 Lesser Scaups, 11 Buffleheads, 5 Hooded Mergansers, 1 Common Merganser, 5 Ruddy Ducks, 4 Northern Harriers, Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 Cooper's Hawk, 11 Red-tailed Hawks, 14 Kestrels, 200 Ring-billed Gulls, 53 Rock Doves, 3 Horned Owles, 2 Barred Owls, 1 Eastern Screech Owl, 6 Kingfishers, 53 Red-bellied woodpeckers, 2 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, 40 Downy Woodpeckers, 11 Hairy Woodpeckers, 8 Northern Flickers, 9 Pileated Woodpeckers, 65 Blue Jays, 73 Crows (considerably downn in numbers from our 9 year average of 196), 1 Horned Lark, 137 Carolina Chicakdees, 63 Tufted Titmice, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 37 White-breasted Nuthatches, 14 Brown Creepers, 7 Carolina Wrens, 7 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 67 Bluebirds, 20 Mockingbirds, 21 American Pipits, 149 Ceder Weaxwings, 2 Rufous-sided Towhees, 7 American Tree Sparrows, 19 Song Sparrows, 3 White-throated Sparrows, 4 White-crowned Sparrows, 126 Dark eyed Juncos, 128 Cardinals (our State Bird), 1 Brewer's Blackbird, 1 Common Grackle, 73 House Finches, and 71 American Goldfinches.

Twenty-three veteran and first-time birders participated in the annual 103rd National Audubon Christmas Count, including: Debra Bowles, Al Cady, Jim Clark, Susie Crate, Sharon Edwards, Hardy and Barb Eshbaugh,, Ann Geddes, Bill Heck, Chuck Holliday, Jack Keegan, Dave Osborne, Bill Pratt, Jim Reid, Larry and Leslye Sherman, Ryan Stander, Beverly Thomas, Casey Tucker, Carolyn and Ernie Wengler, Ray White, and Bill Wilson. Robert Drake and Bruce Magurn helped with observations at their Birdfeeders throughout the day, as well.

A special note of thanks to each of the 13 "trip leaders": Debra Bowles, 
Alan Cady, Sharon Edwards, Barb and Hardy Eshbaugh, Ann Geddes, Dave Osborn, 
Bill Pratt, Jim Reid, Larry and Leslye Sherman, Casey Tucker and Ernie Wengler.