Christmas Bird Count
December 2014 |
|
On Thursday, December 18th, 35 birdwatchers fanned across the area to collect data on birds for the 115th Annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. Most participants came from Melrose or Keystone Heights or Hawthorne, but a few came from Gainesville, Alachua and Satsuma. This year the group tallied 106 species of birds and 7,855 individual birds. Among them were ten species of ducks, Yellow-bellied sapsuckers, Common loons, Blue jays and Bald Eagles. Over 1,000 American robins were spotted and for the first time in local history, a Ruby throated hummingbird and a Whip-poor-will were spotted on Count Day. And yes, one team successfully spotted snipe!
|