33rd Annual BUFFALO BAYOU, TX, CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
2 January 2010 -- Count Summary
(Count History: January 1978 - January 2010)
The 33rd annual Buffalo Bayou CBC was held on Sunday, January 2, 2010 under cold but sunny conditions. The day began in temperatures slightly below freezing (31*F) but warmed to 56°F by mid day with calm winds of 4 mph with gusts up to 15 mph out of the east. In spite of the cold conditions 129 species were recorded by 67 participants in the field and at feeders. That was one less species then what was recorded on last year's count. Highlights for the count included Bonaparte’s Gull (New Count Bird), Western Gull (New Count Bird), Cave/Cliff Swallows, Northern Pintail, Ring-necked Duck, American White Pelican, Tri-colored Heron, Bald Eagle, Roseate Spoonbill, Crested Caracara, Rufous Hummingbird, Vermilion Flycatcher, Brown-headed Nuthatch (2nd Record), Marsh Wren, Black-and-White Warbler, Grasshopper Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, and Nutmeg Mannikin (exotic). Like most other Christmas Bird Counts there was high diversity but low density in what was being observed. Thank you to everybody who participated in this count and we will hope for similar but maybe slightly warmer weather for next years count.
~ Adam Wood, Buffalo Bayou CBC Co-Compiler