York Audubon Society :: birds, conservation, ornithology, ecology, biology, zoology, environment

The 15th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count Be part of something Big! February 17 – 20, 2012 Additional information count can be found at: www.birdcount.org

Audubon Christmas Bird Count #112 Summary For the 112th time the National Audubon organization conducted the Christmas Bird Count, making it as the longest running wildlife census. The local York Chapter held its count on December 17, sponsoring 22 participants. The area counted is a circle with a radius of 7.5 miles centered in Codorus State Park. The counters recorded 11,388 birds among 76 species. Data for the local count is compiled with the National Audubon to assess the health of bird populations and to guide conservation activities.	Click HERE to download a Count Summary Report This file is a PDF and can be opened with Adobe Reader.
Just before dawn, the count began by searching for owls. Two each of Eastern Screech-Owls and Great Horned Owls were found. By the end of the day the groups logged 33 miles by foot and 275 by car to record the 76 different species. Counters noted that the number of birds seemed to be down from last year. This was attributed primarily to the generally overcast day. For the first time in the York area, a Rufous Hummingbird was sighted at a bird feeder during the count. Record high numbers were recorded for Wild Turkeys at 62 and for Eastern Bluebirds at 443. Lower than usual numbers were recorded for Red Headed Woodpeckers, Golden Crowned Kinglets, Cedar Wax Wings and American Tree Sparrows. While these observations may be interesting to note, this data when combined with over 2,000 other circles will provide a much greater statistical base from which to draw conclusions. The history, purpose and conclusions of the National Christmas Bird Counts can be found at the audubon.org website. At the end of the day, participants were invited to share food and their experiences. A hearty thank you goes to all the counters.

York Audubon Society Feeder Stations Get out a seeing the birds at the locations where York Audubon Society maintains feeders. Feeder stations with observation bird blinds are at Pinchot State Park and Rocky Ridge County Park. A feeder station is also set up at the Codorus State Park Visitors Center. Also stop by the Nixon County Park Nature Center. Visitors can try first hand practicing identifying birds as part of Cornell University’s Feeder Watch program.

YORK AUDUBON SOCIETY MISSION The purpose of the York Audubon Society is to: (1) promote an appreciation of the wonder, beauty and variety of nature; (2) to promote a better public understanding of all forms of life and the life support systems of air, land, and water and their interrelationships; and (3) to foster a recognition of the need to protect wildlife, habitat, and natural resources and to use and manage natural resources wisely

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