Date: 1/10/26 9:11 am From: Jeff Calhoun <jeffcalhoun11...> Subject: Dodge City CBC
Twenty-one participants conducted the Dodge City CBC on Friday, January 2 in the pleasant mild weather. This will undoubtedly be the predominant abiotic factor noted during the CBC count period throughout the state. Bird numbers are generally low, another trend that I think will be echoed widely. Our BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE number (18) is lower than recent years but the boots on the ground during the other 364 days of the year suggest that this is mostly due to differences in participant effort on count day, one of the many nuances that challenge a deeper analysis of this data, but here goes, just for fun...
* We counted 69 species and had 8 count week species from more intensive scouting efforts leading up to the count.
* GREATER YELLOWLEGS were a new all-time species for this count.
* A record-shattering 778 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS came out of nowhere; our previous high was last year's 535. Other species with new all-time high counts are EASTERN SCREECH-OWL (12), MERLIN (8), RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET (10), WINTER WREN (8), and NORTHERN HOUSE WREN (2). Additionally, COOPER'S HAWK (8), and GRAY CATBIRD (1) tie previous high counts.
* The most numerous bird on this count was the noble GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE (3348). I am guessing that this is the first time that they have been the most abundant bird on our CBC. Most of our other other heavy-hitters had down numbers (Lapland Longspur, Geese, Starling, EC Doves, Pigeon, RW Blackbird, etc.).
* Several active insects and spiders were seen on count day.
*Of the now 51 Dodge City CBC's in the National Audubon database, four species have been recorded on every count: HOUSE SPARROW, WESTERN MEADOWLARK, AMERICAN KESTREL, NORTHERN HARRIER. One additional species has been recorded on 50 counts: RING-NECKED PHEASANT. I guess that is our Big Five!
*I never know how to determine our biggest misses, but according to the data, the three species seen on the most previous counts that was not detected on count day or week is as follows: AMERICAN CROW (42 previous counts), BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE (32 counts), NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (24 counts). I have never seen a Chickadee in Ford County. Ever. Missing Crow and Mockingbird is not shocking at all.
