John Martin Reservoir CBC results

[Duane Nelson]

Birders,

Fourteen participants in seven parties conducted the John Martin
Reservoir CBC on December 14th. This was perhaps the most perplexing
count ever: a warm fall and no frozen water resulted in huge amounts of
reservoir habitat with no birds to count. Between three parties
observing the immense reservoir, two duck species and seven individual
ducks were present. Absent were the immense flocks usually present this
time of year, presumably still staging far to the north. Ducks, geese,
grebes, loons, pelicans and cormorants were missing, along with the
usual rare bird hiding in plain sight amid a flock of thousands of birds.

Landbirds made up for the missing water birds. Two parties counted
Steller's Jays, which are extraordinarily rare this far east. Eight
sparrow species were counted, including one very rare LeConte's Sparrow,
probably not relocatable. A number of birds not seen on every count
added up during our compilation. On a count that seemed destined to set
a record for lowest number of species recorded, we finally added up our
number of species.

We ended up with 102 species for the day, nearly unfathomable given the
apparent absence of any birds on the reservoir. In my mind, that is a
tribute to the dedication and talents of the extraordinary team of
counters that join us for our we have assembled here on the far eastern
plains.

Duane