A total of 3, 183 birds were recorded during the day. The count area was a circle 7.5 miles in diameter centered at the junction of M-27 and M-33 south of Cheboygan, said Ed Pike, who serves as count compiler.

“We try to get as many people as possible out in the field counting,” Pike explained. “We also encourage people who do not want to get out to count the birds coming into their feeders on the day of the count.”

Pike reported that 44 species were counted by participants, who were Jim and Kathy Bricker, Dale Giddings, Ben and Marilee Lillie, Erika Schwartzfisher and Pike. Feeder counters were Junita Brown, Eugene Elsenheimer and Faye Johnson. the average species count for the 22 years the event has been conducted is 39 species, with a low of 31 and a high of 48, Pike said.

The count this year showed some new birds moving into the area, he noted. Counters recorded them as 47 house finches, two red-bellied woodpeckers and five tufted titmouse.

The top five species recorded were European starling, 613; mallard, 473; black-capped chickadee, 332; mourning dove, 273; and common redpoll, 284.

The remainder of the count was: Canada goose, four; mute swan, 119; American black duck, 10, scaup species, three; bufflehead, six; common goldeneye, 166; hooded merganser, 125; ruffed grouse, three; turkey, 32; pied-billed grebe, one; bald eagle, five; Cooper's hawk, two; northern goshawk, one; ring-billed gull, 21; herring gull, eight; rock pigeon, 146; downy woodpecker, 21; hairy woodpecker, 14; pileated woodpecker, two; northern shrike, one; blue jay, 48; American crow, eight; common raven, one; R.B. nuthatch, 17; W.B. nuthatch, 25; golden-crowned kinglet, one; American tree sparrow, four; white-crowned sparrow, four; dark-eyed junco, two; snow bunting, 85; northern cardinal, eight; pine grosbeak, eight; purple finch, 13; American goldfinch, 41; and house sparrow, 195.

Reprinted from Cheboygan Tribune