Count day weather was ideal for birding, with partly cloudy conditions and moderate temperatures and winds. However, a deep freeze with below-zero temperatures in the days preceding the count may have contributed to less-than-ideal conditions for the birds. We don’t know exactly why, but the 2024 count species tally was the lowest since 2016, and even common species were difficult to find in most of our stops. The total number of individuals reported, 1,822, is less than half our total of 4,124 in 2023. Effort was also down this year, with 36.25 total party hours recorded (as opposed to 54.6 last year.)
Several interesting rarities were observed in the days leading up to the count, so participants were eager to look for them, but, for the most part, they remained elusive during the count. We do have a list of eight-count-week species seen before and after the count, including the Pacific Loon, which is a new species for the Marquette circle.
Owls were a bright spot: early morning owling efforts gathered a record number of Great Horned Owls, 6 individuals, and incidental reports added a Barred Owl and a Snowy Owl.
There were eight count week species noted from reports on eBird: Harlequin Duck (12/12 and 12/17 at Presque Isle), White-winged Scoter (12/17 at Presque Isle), Pacific Loon (12/13 at Presque Isle, a new species for our count, documented with photos by Alec Olivier), Horned Grebe (12/13 at Presque Isle), Cooper’s Hawk (12/16, Wilson St.), Northern Shrike (12/13 and 12/15, N. Lakeshore), White-throated Sparrow (12/16, Wilson St.) and Orange-crowned Warbler (becoming a regular CBC thing at Founder’s Landing, this year reported by Cory Elowe and Ivan Wiljanen on 12/12.)
Eleven regular counters and 3 feeder counters reported a total of 1,822 individuals of 39 species on count day, plus one hybrid. Eight parties of regular counters spent a total of 36.25 party hours in the field, with 20.75 hours and 193 miles driving, and 15.5 hours and 15.2 miles on foot. Three feeder counters contributed 10.5 hours at their feeder stations.
Thanks to regular counters Jo and John Kreag, Scot Stewart, Corinne Rockow, Owen VanAntwerpen, Beth Olson, Cathy Waller, Jeff Towner, Corey Elowe, and Brian Murphy; and thanks to our feeder counters Tom Noren, Pri Burnham and Cindy Deo; and thanks for incidental reports from Ivan Wiljanen, the Keplers and Carl Wozniak, and all the eBirders who reported before and after the count.
—Melinda Stamp
Compiler, Marquette, Michigan
Species Tally: (cw=count week)
3 Canada Goose
669 Mallard
6 American Black Duck
1 MALL x ABDU (hybrid)
1 Scaup sp.
cw Harlequin Duck
cw White-winged Scoter
11 Long-tailed Duck
10 Bufflehead
85 Common Goldeneye
3 Hooded Merganser
13 Common Merganser
10 Red-breasted Merganser
17 Wild Turkey
cw Pacific Loon (new species for Marquette Circle)
cw Horned Grebe
1 Red-necked Grebe
cw Cooper’s Hawk
10 Bald Eagle
285 Herring Gull
155 Rock Pigeon
35 Mourning Dove
6 Great Horned Owl
1 Snowy Owl
1 Barred Owl
4 Red-bellied Woodpecker
17 Downy Woodpecker
11 Hairy Woodpecker
5 Pileated Woodpecker
1 Merlin
cw Northern Shrike
80 Blue Jay
84 American Crow
10 Common Raven
94 Black-capped Chickadee
3 Red-breasted Nuthatch
16 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 American Robin
21 European Starling
6 American Tree Sparrow
7 Dark-eyed Junco
cw White-throated Sparrow
6 Northern Cardinal
14 House Finch
2 White-winged Crossbill
103 American Goldfinch
cw Orange-crowned Warbler
14 House Sparrow