Community Corner

Cheshire is Fourth in Bird Count Statewide

The results of the Great Backyard Bird Count are in!

Cheshire birdwatchers turned in 24 checklists for last weekend's Great Backyard Bird Count, placing the town fourth in the state for participation.

Forty species of birds were counted in Cheshire for a total of nearly 550 indivudual birds. The count, sponsored by the Cornelll Lab of Orthinthology and the Audubon Society, began Friday and ended Monday.

Nationally, than 70,000 birdwatchers participated with nearly 600 species counted. As of this morning, more than 10 million individual birds were seen during the official count, according to organizers.

Find out what's happening in Cheshirewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Here are the top seven sightings in Cheshire by species:

  • Tufted Titmouse, 44
  • Mallard, 44
  • Black-capped Chickadee, 42     
  • Dark-eyed Junco, 40   
  • American Crow, 37
  • Mourning Dove, 36   
  • House Finch, 31    

Four species of hawk were counted over the weekend, while birdwatchers reported seeing two turkey vultures and one black vulture.

Find out what's happening in Cheshirewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Eastern bluebirds, a species that has dwindled in Connecticut in past years due to habitat loss, was reported in 119 state checklists with 354 individual birds being seen. In 2011, 395 bluebirds were counted and in 2010, more than 550 of the  birds were seen. Three bluebirds were counted in Cheshire this year and also in 2011. No eastern bluebirds were spotted in Cheshire in 2010 during the count.

 

 


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