Date: 1/8/26 7:07 am From: Marc Ribaudo (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Mattamuskeet CBC
The Mattamuskeet Christmas Bird Count was held on December29, 2025. The day was unseasonably warm,ranging from 61 to 71 degrees. Themorning was clear. Early on there was asteady breeze of just over 10 mph. Windspicked up during the morning as a cold front approached, and by early afternoonwere gusting over 30 mph. There was nofrozen water. We had 19 observers in 12parties. We found 150 species, above our34-year average of 141 and the highest total in 13 years. Total birds counted were 1,141,396, but anestimated 1,000,000 were a single flock of Red-winged Blackbirds flying overthe marshes along the southern shore of Lake Mattamuskeet.
The weeks leading up to the count were relatively dry, sostanding water was absent from agricultural fields. This removed habitat that in the past hadattracted many shorebirds and other waders. Passerine numbers negatively affected by thehigh winds, especially after 10am. On the other hand, numbers of many species of waterfowl were the highest in years. However, they were still well below historicalhighs.
No new birds were found on count day, nor birds flagged asrare by ebird. We missed 8 species thatare regularly found: Canvasback (seen 32out of the previous 43 years), Surf Scoter (41/43), American Bittern (34/43),Fish Crow (43/43, first time ever), American Pipit (41/43), Field Sparrow(35/43), Dark-eyed Junco (36/43), and House Finch (35/43). High counts were set for American WhitePelican (73) and Red-winged Blackbird (1,000,000+). Low counts were set for Red-tailed Hawk (3)and House Sparrow (1). The most unusual sightingswere: Cackling Goose by Norm Budnitz,Noah Rokoske, and Patsy Bailey (seen 8 out of the previous 43 years), SemipalmatedPlover by Ed Corey and Marc Ribaudo (5/43 years), American Avocet by Derb Carter(10/43), Lesser Black-backed Gull by Brian Bockhahn, Kyle Kittelberger, andSteve Bakus (4/43), Eurasian Collared-Dove by Sandy Cash and Karen Garraputa (3out of the previous 43 years), Horned Lark by Ron Martin and Susan Campbell (5/43),Nelson’s Sparrow by Brian Bockhahn and Kyle Kittelberger (7/43), and SeasideSparrow by Brian Bockhahn and Kyle Kittelberger (8/43). Count week birds were America Bittern andNorthern Waterthrush (found the day before the count by Sandy Cash and Karen Garraputa, a first for the count).
Marc RibaudoGarner, NC
