Delaware County eBird numbers in review for 2019

Gull-billed Terns were seen in Delco this past year behind the Phila Airport

Two years have passed since I have written a summary of eBird reports in a blog. So this report covers the years 2018 and 2019.

***eBird Web Site (http://ebird.org/content/) Use this for all kinds of data characterizations and how to join in if you care to do so. Except for the value of time and effort involved, it is all available free of monetary charge; allowing access to a review of data submitted from all over the world, rare bird alerts, feature articles, personal lists from life lists to specific area lists, and a venue for contributing to a data-base of world-wide submissions in a "Think Globally, Act Locally" manner.

***Species reported for each month for 2011 through 2019; year total for 2011 through 2019; and All-Time totals for each month and year for all years combined back to earliest entry from 1900:
2011:      J-077, F-071, M-083, A-134, M-140, J-100, J-078, A-119, S-098, O-128, N-089, D-092, Y-211
2012:      J-081, F-080, M-084, A-134, M-135, J-098, J-084, A-102, S-124, O-146, N-084, D-086, Y-216
2013:      J-084, F-079, M-098, A-130, M-147, J-087, J-102, A-109, S-129, O-113, N-087, D-098, Y-214
2014:      J-093, F-089, M-100, A-135, M-155, J-098, J-099, A-112, S-123, O-130, N-097, D-097, Y-220
2015:      J-081, F-081, M-104, A-150, M-152, J-112, J-082, A-120, S-129, O-124, N-098, D-089, Y-223

2016:      J-087, F-087, M-104, A-133, M-153, J-101, J-095, A-102, S-134, O-118, N-090, D-088, Y-213

2017:      J-093, F-087. M-115, A-153, M-152, J-097, J-105, A-131, S-156, O-124, N-099, D-097, Y-231

2018:      J-089, F-090, M-106, A-150, M-161, J-101, J-115, A-121, S-144, O-144, N-113, D-097, Y-233

2019:      J-089, F-092, M-096, A-148, M-158, J-111, J-105, A-132, S-147, O-125, N-104, D-099, Y-226

All Time: J-152, F-143, M-156, A-226, M-240, J-169, J-162, A-200, S-239, O-235, N-195, D-174, Y-233

***Discussion via Bullet Points: 

• 333 species have been reported to eBird all-time for Delaware County. Five new species were added to the Delaware County eBird list since 2017’s Black-headed Gull. These were Ross's Goose (Media), American White Pelican (Haverford College), American Golden-Plover (Delaware River), Hudsonian Godwit (Deleware River), and Gull-billed Tern (Deleware River).     
• 226 species were listed on eBird for Delaware County in 2019, 5 less than in 2017 and 7 less than in 2018. The 226 species seen in 2019 was due in large part to two birders who were very active in the county in 2019.
• A new total species high count was set for 3 months out of twelve: February, August and December 2019 shown in red in the above table.
• 100+ species have now been reported in nine out of twelve calendar months at least once, leaving only the winter months December thru February outstanding. December came oh so close with 99 species recorded.
• 150+ species is a tough number to reach in any month. Previously, only three months have achieved that lofty number: April, May, and September.
• 49 species have been reported for Delaware County for every one of the eBird bar chart weeks in a year.
• Here is a list of the top 15 of 50 Delaware County eBird hotspots based on species diversity reported to date:

1.  John Heinz NWR-wetlands (Delaware Co) – 271 (one new bird added in last 2 years)

2.  Delaware River-Ft Mifflin/Hog Island Rds-227 (a remarkable twenty new birds in last 2 years)

3.  Ridley Creek SP (IBA) – 201

4. Tyler Arboretum – 188 (3 new birds added in last 2 years)

5. Springton Reservoir (Restricted Access) – 182

6. Ridley Creek SP--Bridle Trail – 180 (2 new birds added in last 2 years)

7. Darlington Tract – 174 (2 new birds added in last 2 years)

8. Crum Woods – 164 (2 new birds added in last 2 years)

9. The Willows – 160 (4 new birds added in last 2 years)

10. Haverford College (Delaware Co) - 154 (7 new birds added in last 2 years)

11. Rose Tree Park – 149 (9 new birds added in last 2 years)

12. Big Bend Farm - 148

13. Philadelphia International Airport – 144  (11 new birds added in last 2 years)

14. Hildacy Farm - 143 (6 new birds added in last 2 years)

15. Taylor Memorial Arboretum –140 (new to the list this time)

• To view the list of the Top 100 eBirders for Delaware County in 2019, go to: http://ebird.org/ebird/top100?locInfo.regionType=subnational2&locInfo.regionCode=US-PA-045&year=2019

The top 100 birders in Delaware County submitted 226 species and submitted 4451 (a decrease of  49%) separate checklists. It shows a substantial lack of reporting in 2019. Why is that? I have not a clue. Perhaps the Delco birders are just getting too old to bird. I know I'm feeling the effects of too many years.