More birds, species tallied in Hilton Head Audubon's Christmas Bird Count

By Jeff Kidd via The Island Packet 

It's unusual to see a summer tanager in the Lowcountry during the winter, but this one was spotted during the Hilton Head Island Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 15.

Susan Murphy — Submitted photo

The Hilton Head Island Audubon Society one of several area bird clubs to participate in Audubon's 2014 Christmas Bird Count, counted more birds and more bird species than the year before, the club reported recently.

This year's event was conducted Dec. 14 through Jan. 5 across the Americas, according to the Audubon website. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this long-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations - and to help guide conservation action.  

The Hilton Head club conducted its count Dec. 15. Sightings included the federally protected piping plover and a summer tanager, which is not common to the area this time of year but has been spotted in each of the past three counts, according to Susan Murphy, a club bird count liaison. Murphy took the photo of the tanager you see with this story.

Club vice president Robert Rommel offered this report:

Hilton Head Audubon's Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 15 was held on a mild, clear day. The record 249 observers reached a tally of 28,405 birds comprised of 141 different species.

These numbers were higher than last year's count and slightly off the count's 10-year average of 37,228 birds and 150 species. Numbers typically fluctuate from year to year for a variety of reasons including statistical variation, weather, count day conditions, application of effort, and large flocks which are seen on some years but not all. For example, during the 2014 count, numbers were down for nearly all of 18 ducks species that are regularly seen.

Most ducks typically arrive on the island for wintering between December and January and it is possible that with mild conditions elsewhere in the country many ducks remained north longer than most years resulting in lower numbers during the Christmas count.

Observers saw several rare birds during the count including a bright red summer tanager -- a bird that normally spends the winter in South or Central America.

When the data from this citizen science effort is combined with the counts from other areas and examined across several years, it can be used to determine if species are decreasing or increasing over time or changing their geographical patterns.

For example, past count data has helped detect and quantify the decline of the northern bobwhite across much of America including the South Carolina Lowcountry, where it was once common. 

Although none of these quail were seen this year, five of the federally threatened piping plovers were observed on our shores during the 2014 count.