Date: 1/7/26 1:58 pm From: Brian Bockhahn (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Pilot Mountain CBC results
The 11th Pilot Mountain Christmas Bird Count was held on Tuesday December 23, 2025 under cloudy then clear skies with mild temperatures 40-67 degrees, no wind and no precip.
Just like last year we had 18 observers in 9 parties and also tallied 77 species tying our record high (average 69, low 57)
Two species were new to the cumulative list. A Northern Saw-whet Owl was heard along the grassy ridge trail, seems like a once a decade bird for the Sauras/Rockingham county area. And during the lunch countdown tally, a Peregrine Falcon soared over the summit and then stooped off in a hurry. Always bring your binoculars to the countdown, thought not when it's at the Asian buffet.
Other goodies include our 3rd Merlin; 3rd Gray Catbird with two parties finding one; 2nd Horned Lark and 4th American Pipit.
Misses include Wild Turkey, Northern Harrier, Coopers Hawk, Rusty Blackbird and Pine Siskin.
We set some new record counts with 4 Great Blue Heron; 8 Bald Eagle including a new nest site; 4 Eastern Screech Owls, yeay for effort; 19 Hairy Woodpecker, 3 Blue-headed Vireo; 10 Common Raven; 155 Tufted Titmouse; 29 Winter Wren; 121 Carolina Wren; 101 Golden-crowned Kinglet; 2 Gray Catbird; 49 American Pipit; 4 White-crowned Sparrows.
Unchanged form last year, 41 species have been seen on all 11 counts, which is a high number considering weather, and it means everyone works hard and knows how to find birds in their area.
With 77 species, we bested mayo river on Dec 22 which had 65 species, just ahead of hanging rock's 61 species, and ended up just one head of Haw River count which had 76
Mark your calendars for
Pilot Mountain spring bird count May 5, 2026 (hanging rock May 6, mayo river and haw river tbd)
Pilot Christmas bird count December 23, 2026
(hanging rock dec 16, mayo river dec 22, haw river Dec 21)
