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Results of the 2023 Lawrence CBC
By Galen Pittman, Lawrence CBC Compiler
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Twenty-eight (plus eight at feeders) participants, in 12 + 1 parties, found 98 species, plus five more for count week on 16 December 2023 on the occasion of the 124th National Audubon Christmas Bird Count and the 80th Lawrence Christmas Bird Count. Finding nearly 100 species always makes for a great count. The last few years have been an incredible run for the count. This year was a very good effort by all involved.
We recorded 34+ species of waterfowl and other water birds and missed very few birds in that category, with the exception of Wood Duck, American Black Duck, and Ruddy Duck We added no new species but recorded a Gray Catbird, which is pretty rare for this count. In general, even though the number of species was high, the number of individuals per species was fairly low with some notable exceptions. We set all-time record high counts for Bufflehead (129), Gadwall (515), Lesser Scaup (175), Red-shouldered hawk (32), and Pileated Woodpecker (15).
Other unusual species were Long-tailed Duck (count week), Horned Grebe, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Loon (2), Merlin, Northern Shrike (count week), Savannah Sparrow, LeConte’s Sparrow, Lapland Longspur, and Brewer’s Blackbird. Notable misses this year include Northern Bobwhite, Rough-legged Hawk, and Prairie Falcon. Also, one of the worst misses in some years = Red-breasted Nuthatch.
Thanks to all of this year's participants. Hope to see you all again next year for the 125th National Audubon Christmas Bird Count.
The complete list that follows has the unusual species and/or unusually high individual numbers underlined and/or highlighted.
Species List for the 2023 Lawrence CBC
Snow Goose – (count week)
Ross’s Goose – 2
Greater White-fronted Goose - 9
Cackling Goose - 81
Canada Goose - 2340
Trumpeter Swan – 7
Gadwall – 515
American Wigeon – 29
Mallard – 554
Northern Shoveler – 140
Northern Pintail – (count week)
Greenwinged Teal – 81
Canvasback – 4
Redhead –6
Ring-necked Duck – 9
Lesser Scaup – 175
Bufflehead – 129
Common Goldeneye – 1310
Hooded Merganser - 44
Common Merganser 11
Red-breasted Merganser – 32
Long-tailed Duck- (count week)
Wild Turkey – 5
Common Loon – 2
Pied-billed Grebe – 3
Horned Grebe - 1
American white Pelican -18
Doublecrested Cormorant –5
Great Blue Heron – 10
Bald Eagle – 24
Adult (9)
Immature – (8)
Northern Harrier – 5
Sharpshinned Hawk – 3
Cooper's Hawk –4
Red-shouldered Hawk – 32
Redtailed Hawk – 46
American Coot – 77
Killdeer – 1
Bonaparte’s Gull --75
Ringbilled Gull – 9380
Herring Gull –4
Rock Pigeon – 511
Eurasian Collared-Dove – 9
Mourning Dove – 398
Eastern Screech-Owl - 2
Great Horned Owl – 4
Barred Owl – 5
Belted Kingfisher –4
Red-headed Woodpecker – 12
Redbellied Woodpecker – 66
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker –5
Downy Woodpecker – 81
Hairy Woodpecker – 18
Northern Flicker – 122
Pileated Woodpecker – 15
American Kestrel – 15
Merlin – 1
Northern Shrike (count week)
Blue Jay – 142
American Crow – 458
Horned Lark – 260
Blackcapped Chickadee – 285
Tufted Titmouse – 123
Whitebreasted Nuthatch – 42
Brown Creeper – 5
Carolina Wren – 61
Winter Wren -5
Golden-crowned Kinglet – 6
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – 7
Eastern Bluebird – 157
Hermit Thrush – 2
American Robin – 5440
Northern Mockingbird – 1
Gray Catbird – 1
European Starling – 10400
Cedar Waxwing – 546
Lapland Longspur – 2
Yellowrumped Warbler – 41
Spotted Towhee –1
American Tree Sparrow – 155
Field Sparrow - 1
Savannah Sparrow – 1
LeConte’s Sparrow – 1
Fox Sparrow – 13
Song Sparrow – 88
Lincoln’s Sparrow - 3
Swamp Sparrow – 28
Whitethroated Sparrow -- 145
Harris's Sparrow – 122
Whitecrowned Sparrow – 70
Darkeyed Junco – 910
Northern Cardinal – 248
Redwinged Blackbird – 6770
Eastern Meadowlark – 8
Western Meadowlark – 24
Sturnella, spp. – 80
Brewer’s Blackbird - 1
Rusty Blackbird – 8
Common Grackle – 8
Brown-headed Cowbird – 15
Purple Finch -- 5
House Finch – 321
Pine Siskin – (count week)
American Goldfinch – 295
House Sparrow – 321