C&O Canal 2005 Report
DC Audubon’s 7th Annual C&O Canal Midwinter Bird Survey was successfully completed on the weekend of January 29, 2005. The survey was a week later than planned date because of a snowstorm on the original date. Nevertheless, a record 181.5 of the 184.5 miles, 97%, were covered. Two new species were reported—Mute Swan and Peregrine Falcon—which brings a composite total of 107 species over the 7 counts. Those that participated had a bit of respite from the ongoing worry of global warming as the temperatures along the towpath hovered from the teens to just above freezing. In spite of these cold temperatures, we continued to find Eastern Phoebes (9) and Yellow-rumped Warblers (64). Highlights of this year’s count were 20 eagles, one Golden, and a record high 392 Common Mergansers, which were reported in 33 of the mile sectors. All participants, many of whom have been doing their territories for years, deserve praise for their efforts. Special thanks goes to the National Park Service, particularly Marie Sauder of the C&O Canal National Historical Park for all of her and the Park Service’s organizational and logistical support in helping get several of us into the remote areas of Allegany County.
Peter Vankevich, Compiler
See the Main C&O Canal Count page [0] to download count data and see a year-to-year comparison of species counts.
2005 Participants:
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2005 C&O Canal Midwinter Bird Survey
Column 1: Number of Individuals Reported
Column 2: Number of Sectors (miles) Birds Reports
| No. | Sectors | |
| 2 | 2 | Pied-billed Grebe |
| 32 | 25 | Great Blue Heron |
| 36 | 15 | Black Vulture |
| 60 | 28 | Turkey Vulture |
| 1 | 1 | MUTE SWAN |
| 5671 | 86 | Canada Goose |
| 2 | 2 | Snow Goose |
| 544 | 32 | American Black Duck |
| 421 | 30 | Mallard |
| 1 | 1 | hybrids, domestics |
| 1 | 1 | Green-winged Teal |
| 1 | 1 | duck sp. |
| 508 | 5 | Ring-necked Duck |
| 89 | 3 | Greater Scaup |
| 1 | 1 | Lesser Scaup |
| 85 | 15 | Bufflehead |
| 157 | 18 | Common Goldeneye |
| 35 | 11 | Hooded Merganser |
| 392 | 33 | Common Merganser |
| 8 | 2 | Red-Br. Merganser |
| 19 | 15 | Bald Eagle |
| 1 | 1 | Golden Eagle |
| 1 | 1 | No. Harrier |
| 6 | 6 | Sharp-shinned Hawk |
| 6 | 5 | Cooper's Hawk |
| 32 | 29 | Red-shouldered Hawk |
| 37 | 32 | Red-tailed Hawk |
| 1 | 1 | Am. Kestrel |
| 1 | 1 | PEREGRINE |
| 2 | 2 | Ruffed Grouse |
| 65 | 7 | Wild Turkey |
| 3 | 1 | Am. Coot |
| 2 | 1 | Killdeer |
| 384 | 26 | Ring-billed Gull |
| 13 | 5 | Herring Gull |
| 241 | 15 | Rock Pigeon |
| 123 | 23 | Mourning Dove |
| 1 | 1 | Great Horned Owl |
| 3 | 3 | Barred Owl |
| 36 | 31 | Belted Kingfisher |
| 357 | 122 | Red-bellied Woodpecker |
| 108 | 64 | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker |
| 488 | 147 | Downy Woodpecker |
| 101 | 64 | Hairy Woodpecker |
| 44 | 31 | Northern Flicker |
| 145 | 88 | Pileated Woodpecker |
| 9 | 8 | Eastern Phoebe |
| 102 | 56 | Blue Jay |
| 672 | 129 | American Crow |
| 24 | 12 | Fish Crow |
| 10 | 5 | crow sp. |
| 23 | 16 | Common Raven |
| 147 | 39 | Black-capped Chickadee |
| 675 | 90 | Carolina Chickadee |
| 60 | 11 | chickadee sp. |
| 524 | 129 | Tufted Titmouse |
| 438 | 115 | White-breasted Nuthatch |
| 2 | 1 | Red-breasted Nuthatch |
| 102 | 52 | Brown Creeper |
| 398 | 132 | Carolina Wren |
| 58 | 36 | Winter Wren |
| 4 | 2 | House Wren |
| 246 | 83 | Golden-crowned Kinglet |
| 11 | 9 | Ruby-crowned Kinglet |
| 203 | 41 | Eastern Bluebird |
| 7 | 7 | Hermit Thrush |
| 280 | 23 | American Robin |
| 42 | 35 | Northern Mockingbird |
| 1 | 1 | Gray Catbird |
| 692 | 26 | European Starling |
| 22 | 2 | Cedar Waxwing |
| 64 | 33 | Yellow-rumped Warbler |
| 6 | 4 | Eastern Towhee |
| 18 | 1 | American Tree Sparrow |
| 6 | 4 | Field Sparrow |
| 215 | 70 | Song Sparrow |
| 21 | 6 | Swamp Sparrow |
| 781 | 76 | White-throated Sparrow |
| 943 | 86 | Dark-eyed Junco |
| 338 | 87 | Northern Cardinal |
| 70 | 5 | Red-winged Blackbird |
| 28 | 8 | House Finch |
| 169 | 41 | American Goldfinch |
| 184 | 13 | House Sparrow |
| 17850 | 76 | Total |
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