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³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ’s special pandemic protocols for conducting CBCs remained in effect for the 2021-2022 Christmas Bird Count (CBC) season. The Gordonsville CBC was not conducted this season and results were not submitted for the Clifton Forge CBC.

Fifty-three ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ CBCs were conducted in Virginia in the 2021-2022 season. The results from three additional counts conducted in Virginia (Chesapeake Bay, Darlington Heights, and Giles County) are not submitted to ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ for various reasons and thus are not included here. The total number of species tallied on the 2021-2022 counts was 213; the total number of individuals was 854,511.

There were a few compiler changes for the 2021-2022 CBC season: after compiling the count since it began in 2006, Henry Armistead handed over the reins for the Nassawadox CBC to Roberta Kellam; Cynthia Morris is the new compiler for the Dismal Swamp CBC replacing Jen Wright; Mark Sopko assumed compiling duties for the Mathews CBC from Joyce McKelvey; since 2005 Arun Bose has compiled the Hopewell CBC, but turned over those duties this year to Ellison Orcutt; and finally Bridget Bradshaw is the new compiler for The Plains CBC replacing Alison Zak.

NEW SPECIES: A first year Heermann’s Gull had been observed regularly around the Hopewell City Marina since October 2021 and was photographed December 19, 2021 on the Hopewell CBC. This is a new species for Christmas Bird Counts in Virginia.

UNUSUAL SPECIES REPORTED: Greater White-fronted Goose (2 Walkerton & 1 Fort Belvoir); Eurasian Wigeon have been observed every year since 2017 at Chincoteague with three this year plus a CW observation at Nansemond River; Blue-winged Teal (3 Back Bay & CW Hopewell); one Ruffed Grouse at Rockingham County; one Ring-necked Pheasant (introduced species currently extirpated) at Washington’s Birthplace; Red-necked Grebe (2 Little Creek & 1 Nansemond River); one Western Grebe at Back Bay; American White Pelican (114 Williamsburg & 9 Northumberland-Lancaster); one Cattle Egret at Back Bay; Green Heron (1 Brooke & 2 Lynchburg); Golden Eagle (CW Northern Shenandoah Valley, 1 Highland County, 2 Tazewell, & 2 Blackford); one Red-tailed Hawk (abieticola) at Back Bay; King Rail (2 Back Bay & 1 Fort Belvoir); Sora (2 Chincoteague, CW Back Bay, 1 Williamsburg, 1 Hopewell, 1 Walkerton, & 2 Fort Belvoir); for the second year a Sandhill Crane was discovered at Chincoteague; American Avocet (3 Chincoteague & CW Nansemond River); one Spotted Sandpiper at Lynchburg; three Whimbrel at Cape Charles; CW Razorbill at Back Bay; one Black-headed Gull at Hopewell; the previously mentioned Heerman’s Gull at Hopewell; one Iceland Gull at Central Loudon; one Royal Tern at Back Bay; one Snowy Owl at Washington DC; one Northern Saw-whet Owl at Mount Rogers-Whitetop (last time recorded on CBCs in Virginia was 2015 when 1 was reported at Glade Spring & 1 at Calmes Neck); Ruby-throated Hummingbird (1 Newport News & 1 Blacksburg); Rufous Hummingbird (1 Rappahannock & 1 Blacksburg); one Selasphorus hummingbird sp. at Charlottesville; three Red-cockaded Woodpeckers at Dismal Swamp (the most found on a CBC in Virginia since 4 were at Back Bay in 1976); one Ash-throated Flycatcher at Fort Belvoir; one Western Kingbird at Cape Charles; Nashville Warbler (1 Back Bay & 1 Williamsburg); one American Redstart at Fort Belvoir; one Black-throated Blue Warbler at Newport News; one Wilson’s Warbler at Cape Charles; and Lark Sparrow (1 Nansemond River & 1 Mathews).

NEW RECORD HIGH COUNTS FOR THE REGION: 1675 Bald Eagle; 329 Lesser Black-backed Gull; 137 Barred Owl; 4721 Red-bellied Woodpecker; 1647 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker; 3710 Downy Woodpecker; 662 Hairy Woodpecker; 1405 Pileated Woodpecker; 546 Eastern Phoebe; 32 Blue-headed Vireo; 122 House Wren; 1446 Hermit Thrush; 12 (+ 1 CW) Black-and-White Warbler; 53 (+ 2 CW) Orange-crowned Warbler; 2474 Chipping Sparrow; and 43 Baltimore Oriole (ties the record set in 2020).

OTHER HIGH NUMBERS (but not record high counts): 10,008 American Robins observed at The Plains contributed to 70,926 in the area (not a record high count as that was 90,828 set in 2017); 306 Gray Catbirds are the most reported since 308 were seen in 1974; 76,953 Common Grackles are the highest number since 106,833 were reported in 2001; 13,541 Brown-headed Cowbirds are the most recorded since 24,393 in 1998; and 42 Red Crossbills (20 Fincastle & 22 Mount Rogers-White Top Mountain) are the most seen since 83 were discovered on eight counts (Cape Charles, Back Bay, Warren, Northern Shenandoah Valley (CW), Shenandoah NP-Luray, Roanoke, Blacksburg, & Nickelsville) in 1977.

LOW COUNT: 325 Canvasbacks are the lowest number sighted in over 60 years since 66 were seen in 1956.

I apologize for the brevity of this report as a family emergency took priority in the Spring of 2022.

LITERATURE AND MEDIA CITED

Rottenborn, S. C. and Brinkley, E. S. 2007. Virginia Birdlife: An Annotated Checklist, Virginia Society of Ornithology