1999 Rock Run Christmas Count

Data courtesy of Count Coordinator Russ Kovach

1999 ROCK RUN CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT GROUP SUMMARY:

The first listed counter is the block leader.

GROUP 1: OAKWOOD (CECIL COUNTY): 52 Species, including the count’s only Horned Grebe. Other notables include Double-crested Cormorant, Snow Goose, and Purple Finch. COUNTERS: Marcia Watson-Whitmyre and George Whitmyre.

GROUP 2: ROWLANDSVILLE (CECIL COUNTY): 63 Species. A Purple Finch, Green-winged Teal, and Northern Shoveler were observed in addition to the count’s only Wild Turkey. COUNTERS: Les Eastman, Bob Schutsky, Mike Haldeman, and Wyatt Wallace.

GROUP 3: COLORA / LIBERTYVILLE (CECIL COUNTY): 41 Species: Over 20,000 blackbirds of various species, and Gadwall and White-crowned Sparrow highlighted this group’s day in addition to a visit from a Red Fox. COUNTERS: Dave Seitz, Macrina Seitz, and Adam Holahan.

GROUP 4: BAINBRIDGE / PRINCIPIO CREED (CECIL COUNTY): 78 Species: A new block record for number of species was set. Highlights include a Northern Saw-whet Owl, Eastern Phoebe, and a Black-capped Chickadee. COUNTERS: Steve Hillyer, Tabitha Fraczkowski, Suzanne Griger, David Cloude II, Frank Rogers, Scott DeBruyne, Shervonne Cherry, Nova Shaffer, Chris Smith, Christina Crawley, and Dave Ziolkowski Jr.

GROUP 5: FURNACE BAY (CECIL COUNTY): 61 Species: The count’s only American Woodcock was witnessed by this group, in addition to Tundra Swan, Lesser Scaup, and two Northern Saw-whet Owls. COUNTERS: Russell Kovach, Rachel Speer, Michael Scheffenacker, John Weeks, and Linda Weeks.

GROUP 6: SWAN CREEK / OAKINGTON: 48 Species: Perhaps the most unusual bird of the count was seen by this group, an Orange-crowned Warbler at Swan Harbor Farm. Also seen were American Tree Sparrow, Canvasback Duck, and Double-crested Cormorants. COUNTERS: David Powell, Don Conley, and Duvall Sollers.

GROUP 7: HAVRE DE GRACE: 60 Species: 23 American Pipits were counted by this group of high school students and their teacher. Complimenting the pipits were Ruddy Duck and Red-breasted Merganser, and the highest number of House Sparrows of any block (over 800). COUNTERS: Tom Trafton, Kim Caughey, John Hughes, and Paul Ford.

GROUP 8: ALDINO: 49 Species: This group observed nearly all the common hawks, including Cooper’s, Sharp-shinned, Red-shoulder, and Red-tailed, missing only the Northern Harrier. In addition, the largest count for any one species this year came from the Aldino block, 33,000+ Common Grackles. COUNTERS: Spike Updegrove, Joseph Chronowski, and 17 students from C. Milton Wright High School.

GROUP 9: SUSQUEHANNA STATE PARK: 65 Species: The “woodpecker clan” with 6 species of woodpecker including 13 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers. Purple Finch, Lesser Scaup, and Gray Catbird also highlight this group’s achievements. COUNTERS: Matt Hafner and Kevin Fehskens.

GROUP 10: CHURCHVILLE / ROLLING GREEN: 53 Species: All three common owls were heard by the group that was in the field the longest (starting at midnight). Ring-necked Duck, American Pipit, and Common Snipe were also highlights. COUNTERS: Dave Webb, Jean Wheeler, and Bill McIntosh.

GROUP 11A: NOBLE’S MILL: 37 Species: This group cornered the market in common forest and feeder birds, with Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, both nuthatches, Brown Creeper, and Carolina Wren all being counted in good numbers. COUNTERS: Tom Congersky, Norm Friedman, and Peter Dyke.

GROUP 11B: SHURESVILLE: 88 Species; the highest total ever for one group in the history of the Rock Run CBC: Highlights include 3 Peregrine Falcons, Great Cormorant, Iceland Gull, and Horned Lark. COUNTERS: Rick Blom, Gene Scarpulla, and Nancy Magnusson.

GROUP 12: DUBLIN / BERKLEY: 47 Species: Highlights include Lesser Scaup, Red-breasted Merganser, and Purple Finch. COUNTERS: Jean and Larry Fry, Eileen Frey, Debbie Stewart, and Jean Williams.

GROUP 13: SUSQUEHANNA RIVER (BY BOAT): 48 Species: Including the count’s only Wood Duck. Other notables include Pied-billed Grebe, Northern Pintail, and Canvasback Duck. COUNTERS: Dennis Kirkwood, Bruce Kovacs, and Rip Poole.

TOTAL SPECIES FOR 1999 ROCK RUN CBC: 109 Special thanks go out to John and Lorna Wortman, whom conducted a feeder count in addition to providing the annual gathering count evening.

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