We had a fun day for the Audubon Christmas bird count on the Bass Islands December 20, 2015. The birding was a little slower than in past years with the warmer temperatures we have been experiencing but we got counters on all three Bass Islands this year! Thanks to Joe Dopps, Craig Rieker, and Mike Galloway for counting on North Bass Island this year-they found a purple finch and horned larks. Nancy Welter watched on Middle Bass seeing three Bald Eagles at the airport and hooded mergansers off of her cottage.On South Bass, Susan Harrington, Karen Wilhelm and Lisa Brohl got an early start at the Scheeff East Point Preserve and were rewarded with tundra swans there! We were joined by Alice Lentz, Richard Gump, and Sharon Gray counting waterfowl. Alice spotted quite a few brown creepers at the new Massie Cliffside Preserve. Thanks to all of our feeder watchers as they found the majority of the birds this year-Kit Knaser, Ruth Scarpelli, Anita McCannMichelle Heineman, Russ Brohl, Sue Amrine, Jean Hilt, Gene and Pam Zajac, Carol Root and Pat Chrysler, Chris Ladd, John Ladd. Kit Knaser had a pair of tufted titmice at her feeder this year-a rarity for the islands. Thanks to Paul Ladd for transporting Lisa and Russ Brohl to Green Island for the count on December 22-a pair of great horned owls are there each year. Julene Market and Lisa Brohl took a quick trip to Kelleys Island during count week to view the Couch/Western kingbird Tom Bartlett had found on Kelleys.
See the bird list below! More coming when totals are available from Kelleys and Pelee!
Christmas count South Bass-Total 2015 (2)