The Nicola Naturalist Society ran the Merritt Christmas Bird Count on 2 January 2011. This count, started by Wayne Weber, has been held since 1995. The weather was sunny but chilly on the 2011 count day but 15 people participated in the field groups plus 2 feeder-watchers.
Birding in the Lundbom Common - Merritt CBC (Photo: Corey Burger)
We recorded 58 species (right on the average) and 2050 individuals (average: 3323).
High counts:
Red-tailed Hawk 28 (previous high 14)
Eurasian Collared Dove 34 (prev. 14) – this introduced species is gaining ground across southern BC.
Steller’s Jay 19 (prev. high 14)
Northern Shrike 7 (tied with 1997)
House Sparrow 109 (prev. high 72)
Low counts:
Rock Pigeon 49 (average is 191)
American Crow 8 (previous low 15)
Bohemian Waxwing 1 (average is 490)
Some of the local feedlots were not feeding cattle – hence low counts of pigeons and other birds which frequent the feedlots (mourning doves, mallards, blackbirds).
Northern Pygmy Owl on Hamilton Hill (Photo: Corey Burger)
Featured birds
Northern Pygmy owl – second record for this count area.
Cooper’s Hawk – first record for this count area.
Golden Eagles (2) – always great to see.
Here is the full count list.
Common Loon: 2
Pied-billed Grebe: 4
Horned Grebe: 1
Great Blue Heron: 2
Trumpeter Swan: 18
Canada Goose: 232
Green-winged Teal: 9
Mallard: 576
Northern Pintail: 1
American Wigeon: 11
Lesser Scaup: 6
Common Goldeneye: 23
Barrow’s Goldeneye: 19
Bufflehead: 26
Common Merganser: 10
Bald Eagle: 25
Northern Harrier: 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk: 1
Cooper’s Hawk: 1
Red-tailed Hawk: 28
Rough-legged Hawk: 7
Golden Eagle: 2
Merlin: 2
American Kestrel: 1
American Coot: 1
Rock Pigeon: 49
Eurasian Collared-Dove: 34
Mourning Dove: 28
Northern Pygmy Owl: 1
Belted Kingfisher: 1
Downy Woodpecker: 5
Hairy Woodpecker: 6
N. (Red-shafted) Flicker: 20
Pileated Woodpecker: 1
Steller’s Jay: 19
Clark’s Nutcracker: 24
Black-billed Magpie: 22
American Crow: 8
Common Raven: 77
Black-capped Chickadee: 22
Mountain Chickadee: 25
Red-breasted Nuthatch: 20
Pygmy Nuthatch: 2
American Dipper: 5
Townsend’s Solitaire: 5
American Robin: 1
Bohemian Waxwing: 1
Northern Shrike: 7
European Starling: 228
Spotted Towhee: 6
Song Sparrow: 9
Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco: 47
Red-winged Blackbird: 3
Brewer’s Blackbird: 3
House Finch: 231
Pine Siskin: 1
American Goldfinch: 20
House Sparrow: 109
