2013-2014 Medford Leas Birders’ Annual Report
We have had another busy year with monthly meetings in the Linden Room the first Wednesday of each month except July and August and a monthly field trip to visit birding areas mostly in New Jersey.
Here are results of the Medford Leas Winter Bird Census, annual since January 1988, and other projects such as the Bluebird Trail.
Each year has a page, and summary tables are also available:
We have had another busy year with monthly meetings in the Linden Room the first Wednesday of each month except July and August and a monthly field trip to visit birding areas mostly in New Jersey.
Lumberton Leas 15th Winter Bird Census, January 15, 2014 Dark-eyed Junco Carolina Chickadee The weather conditions were good at the Lumberton Leas 2014 Annual Bird Census. The temperature was above freezing at 37 degrees. The early morning fog burned off
On a very cold, gray, 23 degree day, four women — Lucia LeConey, Barbara Heizman, Miriam Swartz and Louise Tompkins — began the 27th Annual Bird Census at Medford Leas.
We don’t have the list from this year, but the total of species seen was 28, total individual birds 710.
Wednesday, January 9th was a relatively warm morning. As we left home it was 33 degrees with a promise of sun breaking through the clouds and the temperature reaching 50 degrees. It was a wonderful day for this 26th Annual Bird count.
22 degrees, blue skies and full sun. Looked out over Monarch Lake, Rancocas trail, Kay Dee Trail, Back Water Trail.
On Monday, January 9th, a cold, mostly cloudy day, four residents — Louise Tompkins, Miriam Swartz, Sue Dowling, and Gil Goering — met at the Nature Center at 9 a.m.
Wednesday morning, January 19, 2011, was an overcast day; the temperature was above freezing, and snow was on the ground.
Four ML Birders lucked out with a bright, sunny, windless and by mid-morning almost “balmy” day to count the campus birds. Most of the expected birds we commonly see were present
After two rainy and windy days the ML Birders were able to take their census on a day that, weather wise at least, improved through the morning and ended in bright sun and relatively warm temperatures.
The Medford Leas avian census takers met at the Nature Center on a dreary day for the numerators as well as the objects of their pursuit. The woodland trails were eerily silent with only a scattering of birds seen or heard.
A cold (upper 20’s) sunny but windless day greeted the ML Birders at the start of the count. It was spotty for land birds early on but good for waterfowl.
On a cold blustery day the Medford Leas Birders met at the Nature Center at 8 a.m. to commence our sightings and listings. While the temperature never got out of the 20’s the bright sun slowly began to warm the day and rouse the birds.
In February ML birders heard a presentation of Scott McConnell’s new book Witmer Stone, The Fascination of Nature. Witmer Stone was an ornithologist in the early 20th century who wrote Bird Studies in Old Cape May.
The day was cloudy with temperatures in the upper 20 degrees. The ML birders counted 375 individual birds of 31 species on the Lumberton campus and nearby lake.
On January 15, ML birders conducted the 28th annual winter census on a cloudy day with the temperature in the low 30s.
This year’s annual Winter Census on the Lumberton campus on January 23 was cold, but relatively productive, recording 47 species and 5,166 individuals.
The 2022 Medford Campus Winter census was held on January 15. On that day, the temperature barely reached 25° F by noon; twenty-three species were recorded with a total of 850 individuals.
Twelve of the 13 nest boxes with metal poles and predator guards successfully fledged young with no predation. Several boxes had more than one successful nest. The bluebird success rate (#young fledged/#eggs) increased from 23.3% in 2020 to 85.7% in 2021. Tree Swallows and House Wrens also had significant improvement in 2021.
There are many nesting boxes at Lumberton Leas. While they all could accommodate bluebirds, most of the poles were wood (which black snakes and raccoons can climb) with no predator guard. In an effort to reduce predation, 12 of the original boxes on wooden poles have been replaced with boxes on metal poles with predator guards.
Summary table of Medford Leas winter bird census data from 1989 to present
A summary table of Winter Bird Census data for both Medford and Lumberton campuses, from 1989 to date.
The ML Birders conducted their annual winter census on 01/23/2021 for the Medford Campus . The weather was very cold and windy with brilliant sunshine. The only modification we had to make to the old adage of “no such thing as bad weather only bad clothing” was the addition of the socially responsible mask.
The ML Birders conducted their annual winter census on 01/15/2021 for the Lumberton Campus. The weather was hazy sun with temperature in the low to mid 40’s.