Bird Watching in the Adirondacks: Bird Counts Dec 2009
Owners of Adirondack land and ornithology hobbyists have long enjoyed the wonderful diversity of the Adirondack bird population, and over the 2009 Christmas holidays, volunteer bird watchers in the Adirondack region went out and recorded bird sightings in their area. Here are the preliminary holiday season bird counts.
In the St. Lawrence Seaway-Massena-Cornwall Ontario area along the New York-Canada border, 59 bird species were sighted, including a record high for sightings of the red-breasted merganser. A number of Bohemian waxwing were also seen. Other notable sightings included the mute swan (4th record), common loon, pied-billed grebe (5th record), double-crested cormorant, merlin (3rd record), peregrine falcon (3rd record), long-eared owl (3rd record), and red-bellied woodpecker (5th record).
Meanwhile, the Canton-Potsdam area in St. Lawrence County New York reported 38 species. Common regional birds such as Canada geese, wild turkey, rock pigeon, mourning dove, American crow, blue jay, horned lark, black-capped chickadee, European starling, American tree sparrow, snow bunting, American goldfinch, and house sparrow were all seen in large numbers. Seen in smaller numbers were the red-tailed hawk, rough-legged hawk, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, pileated woodpecker, white-breasted nuthatch, dark-eyed junco, northern cardinal, and scattered sightings of a number of other species.
Photo: Downy Woodpecker Attribution: Photography by Peter de Wit
The Brasher Falls-Brasher State Forest area in St. Lawrence County New York was not counted separately, but lying roughly midway between Massena and Potsdam, observers noted that the 22,000 acre state forest area bird count is likely to contain a similar mix of species with these two bird count locations.
If you've heard enough and are ready to buy land for sale in Brasher Falls New York, just stop reading and step right up. 
One group in the Adirondack lake region reported the lowest bird counts in two decades, owing to cold weather on count day, harsh temperatures in the weeks preceding the count, and the near absence of conifer mast. Still, 33 species were sighted, the most common of which were the mallard, wild turkey, rock pigeon, mourning dove, blue jay, American crow, black-capped chickadee, red-breasted
nuthatch, European starling, and evening grosbeak. In smaller numbers were the downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, raven, white-breasted nuthatch, golden-crowned kinglet, northern cardinal, purple finch, dark-eyed junco, house sparrow, and limited sightings of an assortment of other species. The most notable highlights of their Adirondack lake count included a Canada goose, 2 black-backed woodpeckers, a falcon, and 932 American goldfinches. Also seen were 2 ruby-crowned kinglets, a species that had never been observed previously in the 54 years of the count.
Photo: Ruby-crowned kinglet Attribution: Photography by Alan Vernon
Buy Adirondack land and enjoy these sights yourself. Keep in mind that this was a winter bird count. With all of northern New York being a 10 lane highway for birds migrating during the migration season, buyers looking for Adirondack acreage for sale need only imagine sitting on one's land and looking up at the sight of thousands of birds flying overhead!
