The John Martin Reservoir Christmas Bird Count took place on December 14, 2022. This year, sixteen people contributed, a few more than our average. There were seven teams. This area received a surprise snowstorm on the night of December 12, and groups had to deal with up to six inches of wet snow and frigid temperatures, dipping to 2 degrees F at the start of the count. Nevertheless, we persisted. We ended up the day with 106 species, maybe a species or two below our average.
Rather than dwelling on the multiple Count Week species we missed, I want to focus on the great birds we found. Perhaps the biggest obstacle we faced this year was an unseasonable cold spell in November that almost totally froze the Reservoir, and drove out late migrants like shorebirds, loons, grebes, and diving ducks. Bird flu didn't help.
This year, there were only a few lingering American White Pelicans and Double Crested Cormorants. We found low numbers of many duck species that are sometimes absent on the count. Almost all dabbling ducks were present, as well as most Aythya ducks. We had no loons or scoters, and only single Eared and Western Grebes. The lone shorebird this year was a single Greater Yellowlegs. We had only five species of gull, including Bonaparte's, Lesser Black-backed and Iceland (Thayer's)
Many groups found exciting landbirds, including Yellow-headed Blackbird, Brown Thrasher, Gray Catbird, American Pipit, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, Canyon Wren, Rock Wren, Savannah, Lincoln's and Swamp Sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Eastern Bluebird, Mountain Bluebird, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper and White-breasted Nuthatch (eastern).
Our lone new bird for the count was Mexican Duck. It would take some luck to find it amongst the 11,000 Common Mergansers, 3,000 Common Goldeneyes (no Barrow's this year) and thousands of Mallards present.
I'm sure I missed a couple of birds, but I hope I captured the spirit of the count. Thanks to the many expert birders that helped this year.
Duane Nelson
Las Animas, Bent County, CO
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