Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Spring Census

May 7, 2005
By Dwight Chasar

I think everyone was in agreement that the weather cooperated with us this day, especially compared to the long hold winter had on us here.  The census was held a little early in May for our area.  Early (May 6-8 vs May 9-13) meant that some wintering birds were lingering here while some of the migrants from the south did not reach us yet.  In addition, the late spring did not help, as we know the birds were in southern Ohio. 

Looking at the data from all censuses, I relate the following observations.

First sighting of a species since earlier date:
Green-winged Teal  5/11/90
Blue-winged Teal   5/9/96
Golden-crowned Kinglet  5/6/86 and 5/8/87
Northern Mockingbird  5/3/00 (only other one on spring census)
Rusty Blackbird  5/8/99

First miss of species since earlier date:
Veery   5/6/88
Swainson's Thrush  5/7/94
Cedar Waxwing  5/10/97
White-eyed Vireo  5/10/97
Yellow-breasted Chat  5/9/98
Indigo Bunting  5/6/88  (one showed up next day on 5/8/2005) 

General trends in some of the data:
Tree swallows on rise for many years now.  Carolina Wren survived this past snowiest winter without issue (most ever).  If crow was down due to WN Virus, it is back now.  Most Blue-headed Vireos on a census (by 35%).  Eastern Bluebird down, probably due to harsh winter.  Red-headed Woodpeckers are down.   

Most PARTICIPANTS ever (54 vs 47).  Thanks for all the help.  You seem to enjoy it all.  Fall census will be September 10, 2005.  See you there.

 Dwight Chasar
Volunteer, CVNP and census coordinator

Quick Account:
331CanadaGeese 86WoodDuck 83Mallard 2BWTeal 2GWTeal 3HoodedMergs 19 Turkey 1PBGrebe 3 DCCormorants 225GBHeron 5GreenHeron 93TVs 1Osprey 1 SSHawk 7Coopershawk 17RShawk 3BWHawk 33RTHawk 3Kestrel 1Vrail 5Sora 6 Coot 21Killdeer 2Gyellowlegs 2Lyellowlegs 17SolSandpiper 1SpottedSandpiper 2W Snipe 5Woodcock 10RBGull 3Hgull 12RockPigeon 93MourningDove 2BarredOwl 65 ChimneySwift 2RTHummingbird 15Kingfisher 3RedheadedWP 97RedbelliedWP 83 DownyWP 15HairyWP 38Flicker 14PileatedWP 3Pewee 1AcadianFlycatcher 2Least Fly 31Phoebe 17Great-crestedFly 13Kindbird 7YellowthroatedVireo 16BHVireo 36WarblingVireo 13REVireo 223Bluejay 159Crow 250TreeSwallow 43RoughwingedSwallow 6BankSwallow 86BarnSwallow 160Chickadee 111Tuftedtitmouse 1RBNuthatch 36WBNuthatch 3Browncreeper 36carolinawren 56housewren 1winterwren 1gckinglet 32rckinglet 110bggnatcatcher 27bluebird 4hermitthrush 11woodthrush 327robin 23catbird 2mockingbird 3brownthrasher 120starling 68bluewingedwarbler 2orangecrowned 29nashville 211yellow 6chestnutsided 2magnolia 1blackthroatedblue 46yellowrumped 30blackthroatedgreen 8blackburnian 18yellowthroated 3pine 31palm 1baybreasted 1blackpoll 10cerulean 11blackandwhite 7redstart 5prothonotary 32ovenbird 2northernwaterthrush 12louisianawaterthrush 39cmmonyellowthroat 40hooded 1wilson 27tanager 55towhee 91chippingsparrow 46field 16savannah 228song 49swamp 33whitethroated 25whitecrowned 267cardinal 32rosebreastedgrosbeak 4bobolink 560redwingedblackbird 3meadowlark 4rustyblackbird 165grackle 117cowbird 8orchardoriole 133baltimoreoriole 2purplefinch 41housefinch 442goldfinch 43housesparrow