The 15th annual Ulster/Dutchess (NYUD) ChristmasBird Count was conducted on Saturday, December 27th just as asubstantial snow storm that started in the late afternoon Friday wound down. Thisweather event was characterized by varying bands of intensity and as a resultdropped between 8 and 12 inches of powdery snow within the circle. So much snow that it necessitated the use ofsnow shoes in two sectors! Pre-dawn owling was definitely abbreviated by manyfield parties and aborted all together by others. Road conditions were addressed promptly andreally served no impediment during the day but all that early morning plowing didmake roadside parking a challenge and access to some areas difficult ordelayed. The diurnal portion of the survey saw overcast skies and rawconditions not exceeding 26 degrees. Even though some diurnal efforts wereshortened, coverage of the NYUD circle was nonetheless thorough and muchappreciated. There was approximately 85 percentice coverage on a still and quite Hudson River. Smaller standing bodies of water were iced overcompletely with river tributaries nearly frozen as well.
45 birders in 19 field parties along with five feederwatchers contributed in the ten sectors of the NYUD circle that includes partsof the Towns of Hurley, Woodstock, Ulster, Kingston, Saugerties, Esopus, andthe City of Kingston in Ulster County, parts of the Towns of Rhinebeck and RedHook in Dutchess County, parts of the Towns of Clermont and Germantown inColumbia County, and the tiniest slice of Greene County near Cementon.
This year 14,912individuals representing 80 specieswere identified on count day with one additional species (Common Loon) for thecount week (12/24/25-12/30/25) and a near miss of a Sandhill Crane on the 31st. The NYUD has averaged 84 species/ 18,759 individualswith highs of 95 species/ 32,277 individuals and lows of 75 species/12,143individuals. No new species were addedto the composite NYUD list which now stands at 134 species.
Sector C had a productive day in the field with just thesecond NYUD record of Northern Shrike,a flock of 150 Snow Geese (setting acount record), and a Peregrine Falcon(helping to set a count record along with Sector G’s sighting). AmericanWoodcock in Sector I was just the second record in the count for thisspecies. Rough-legged Hawk in SectorJ was a good addition for the dayand served as just the fifth record of this species on the count. Sector E discovered a Catbird, Sectors D and G observed Rusty Blackbirds and G also had the circle’s only Great Blue Heron. Purple Finches observed inSectors B and J were the only winter finch representatives and a disappointmentafter the hopeful autumn forecast.
High counts were set for 5 species; Common Merganser, Cooper’sHawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Common Raven, and Dark-eyed Junco. With exceptional showings from CommonMerganser (396) and Dark-eyed Junco (2478), both species doubling their averagenumbers,
A lone Herring Gull in Sector I was the only species that experienceda low historical count.
Winter vagrant wanderers like Snowy Owls, rarer winterfinches and gulls went undetected this year.
Many thanks to all who birded, brought food and drink to thecompilation, and helped clean up too!
Once again a big thanks to our Dean of Ulster CBC’s SteveChorvas who, once again held my hand and tidied up the data to something even Icould understand.
I wish you all a healthy and bird-filled New Year.
Mark DeDea
Co- Compiler Ulster/Dutchess (NYUD) Christmas Bird Count
Save the date: NYUD CBC 2026, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26TH
Sector A (West Saugerties) (1)Robert Miller, George Moxham, Mary Moxham, Wes Finger (fw) (2) Erica Obey, GeorgeBaird
Sector B (Saugerties) (1) SteveChorvas, Alan Beebe (fw), Doreen Beebe (fw), (2) Nick Martin, Charlie Baran,Mark Baran, Todd Martin (fw)
Sector C (Cheviot) Marian Sole,George Steele
Sector D (Kerleys Corners)Peter Schoenberger, Susan Fox Rogers, Ryan MacLean, Zade Pacetti, Chip Blake
Sector E (Woodstock) (1) DixonOnderdonk, Loren Quinby, Diane Nowicki (2) Debbie Carney, Paul Carney (3) Dave Hayes
Sector F (Lake Katrine) (1) AllanBowdery, Lynn Bowdery, Charlotte Adamis, (2) Jeff Schlabach, Duncan Woolston,Keith Woolston, Timothy Woolston (3) Ben Osborn, Scarlett D’Arcy
Sector G (Annandale-On-Hudson)(1) Jessica Cukrovany, Michael Cukrovany, Matthew Rymkiewicz, Tim Whitney,Valerie Whitney
Sector H (Red Hook) (1) AdriennePopko (2) Jim Closs, Roberta Dapson, Susan Gulnack (fw)
Sector I (Kingston) (1) MarkDeDea, (2) Roddy Greaves,Travis Greaves
Sector J (Rhinebeck) (1) DebWeltsch, Evelyn Leigh (2) Madeleine George
