Prairie wanderings: The 2005 Harvey County Christmas bird count years ago
By PAUL G. JANTZEN
Contributing writer
The 2005 Harvey County Christmas bird count occurred Dec. 17 within a circle of 15-mile diameter and centered 5.75 miles northeast of Halstead. The 15 observers were divided into six teams who observed separate areas, each with various habitats: grasslands, shrubby grasslands, wooded streams, upland woods, cultivated fields, old fields and fence rows, open water, and residential areas (in Newton and Hesston). This area includes the Little Arkansas River, Sand Creek, Sand Prairie Natural History Reservation, and Harvey County West Park.
An average of 3,478 birds were seen per 10-party hours compared to 3,820 on the preceding 10 counts. Sixty species were recorded, compared to a 10-year average of 67 species. The lower numbers were attributed to "poor viewing conditions" such as the all-day snow, clouds, and still waters being frozen, and even flowing streams being partly frozen. Therefore there were few water birds except for Canada geese and mallards. "The cold and snowy weather in the first half of December may have driven some
Additional differences this year were teams spent more time in cars than on foot, in cultivated and old fields, and in upland woods. Teams also spent less time counting in grasslands and along wooded streams. The temperature ranged from 28 degrees to 32 degrees.
In spite of the weather, high counts were recorded for some species, namely Canada geese, horned larks, dark-eyed juncos, and Lapland longspurs.
The 1,733 Canada geese are described by Roger T. Peterson as "the most widespread goose in North America." Flocks travel in V-formation with audible honking. Their breeding range is commonly Canada and northwestern United States. They normally eat plants and animals of shallow water and either wild or cultivated grain.
The 1,880 horned larks noted here were probably present all year in the central and western shortgrass prairie. They feed on insects during the nesting season and on seeds of weeds and grasses and waste grain in winter.
The 2,044 dark-eyed juncos are common winter residents throughout the state from late September to mid-April. They breed in the coniferous forests of the U.S. and southern Canada. In winter they feed on the seeds of grasses and annual weeds and waste grain. They often visit feeding stations in the early morning and late evening, feeding on the ground, eating food discarded by other birds.
The 5,285 Lapland longspurs seen here are common in Kansas from late October to mid-March. They breed in the tundra of northern Alaska and Canada but are seen in large flocks during central and western Kansas winters in stubble fields feeding on waste grain and the seeds of pigweeds, ragweeds, and grasses. They often are seen among the stubs of milo and corn stalks after harvest.
Significant declines in counts were noted for European starlings, red-winged blackbirds, and brown-headed cowbirds. Numbers of American crows and black-capped chickadees have been declining since 2002. House finch numbers are down from a peek in the year 2000. The number of wild turkeys was reduced because the large flock sometimes encountered north of Harvey County West Park was not seen this year.
As I wrote in this space 13 years ago, the Christmas bird counts are held not only in Kansas but over the United States, Canada, and into South America. Collectively they generate information on the distribution of a continent's bird life.
There are more personal reasons too, for participation in a bird count. First, I see a variety of landscapes, natural and altered. Second, because of the variety of habitats surveyed, I see bird species I don't often see. Third, I survey the quality of wildlife habitat in terms of protective cover and winter food supply. Fourth, I spend quality time with people who know more about birds than I do, along with novices who are longtime bird watchers. Fifth is the camaraderie with those who share a common interest. Sixth is the surprises that await alert minds having a variety of experiences in a 10-hour day in various habitats. And finally, Bird count day reminds me of my biological heritage. I am part of a wonderful world of life.
I also thank Dwight Platt for sharing these statistics.
