Summary of the 58th Upper Bucks Christmas Bird Count (126th CBC)
Sunday December 14, 2025
Author: Bill Etter
The 58th Upper Bucks CBC took place 14 December 2025 on the very first day of Audubon’s count window for 2025-2026. Despite predictions for optimal conditions just several days prior, it became clear leading up to count day that we would be impacted by poor weather. Snow arrived late Saturday evening, continuing into early Sunday morning. The region was hit with about 4-6 inches, lighter and fluffier from the Quakertown area and north into the Lehigh Valley, but deeper and heavier toward the bottom of our CBC circle from central BuxMont down toward Philadelphia. Unfortunately this storm was not hype, and many CBC participants were unable to safely leave the house or dig out of driveways. Most counters got a late start, and several pivoted to cover areas closer to home. A few made it out fairly early. In the end just over half of the 19 areas received decent coverage. Four had light coverage and another four were untouched. Temps fell throughout the day from just below freezing to 20℉ by late afternoon. Wind also picked up throughout the day with gusts up to 25 mph. This was a challenging count.
A total of 29 participants contributed 90.25 field hours. We recorded 17,543 birds of 90 species, a great species total given the conditions! Birds per hour is a good way to measure effort; despite limited participation, we tallied 204.5 birds/hr. This exceeds both the 20-year ratio (186.3 b/hr) and the all-time 58-year ratio (180.8 b/hr). There were no new species added to the collective list this year, so our total of 166 species since 1968 stands. New “High Counts” were achieved or matched for four species: White-winged Scoter (4), Common Raven (13 - tie), Brown Thrasher (3), and Lincoln’s Sparrow (1 - tie). Northern Pintail was an extra “count week” record not tallied on count day. Low counts probably aren’t worth mentioning here due to this year’s limited effort. A total of 13 species were represented by just one individual, adding little to the overall total birds while boosting our species total.
Summary:
A group of 4 White-winged Scoters was at Lake Nockamixon throughout the day, joined by a lone Long-tailed Duck later in the afternoon. The scoters were just the second record for this CBC following one bird in 2020. Areas around Green Lane Reservoir contributed 10 of the 14 total duck species this year. Lesser Black-backed Gull (21) had the lowest showing since 2001. High counts for all gulls are generally obtained at the Nockamixon marina at sunrise and again in late afternoon, but neither count happened this year due to conditions and road closure.
This CBC is known for owl totals, but that was essentially shut down this year. One Eastern Screech Owl and 4 Long-eared Owls were all we got. Three Merlins and a lone American Kestrel represented the falcons. Thirteen Common Ravens tied the High Count achieved last year. Black-capped Chickadee was notable in absence, missing from the count for just the second time ever (also 2019). Red-breasted Nuthatch (28) seemed to be having a strong year with the 6th highest count ever and best since 2005 (42). There were 62 White-breasted Nuthatches this year, for an unusual almost 2:1 White to Red ratio! Brown Thrasher (3) was found in three areas, a new High Count. Of 463 Cedar Waxwings, 403 were tallied at Nockamixon where they seemed to be taking advantage of local fruit crops. Snow Bunting (2) was found in two areas, both on lake shores. These were the first for this count in three decades! The most recent record was in 1995 (30). Snow Bunting has been recorded 14 times on this CBC, but the majority occurred in 9 out of 12 years from 1984 to 1995. American Tree Sparrow is another bird that must be noted as missing; this was the first time in the count’s 58 years that none were reported. Finally, a Lincoln’s Sparrow at Quakertown was just the second count record, with the previous in 2019.
UBCBC Trivia (Since it’s a short report…)
A total of just 26 common species have been recorded every year since the count’s inception in 1968. Six others have been annual since at least 1970: Canada Goose (missed 1968, 1969), American Black Duck (missed ‘68), Eastern Screech Owl (‘69), Belted Kingfisher (‘68, ‘69), Golden-crowned Kinglet (‘68, ‘69), and Red-winged Blackbird (‘68, ‘69). Others missed for the first time more recently were Black-capped Chickadee (2019, 2025) and Purple Finch (‘06, ‘17). With a miss on our 2025 count, American Tree Sparrow was the most recent to drop off the “annual” list.
I am grateful to all who were able to get out and make this count happen this year. Also for all who wished to but could not! It’s rarely an easy call when it comes to postponing a count, so the patience and understanding from all involved is appreciated. An enduring aspect of Christmas Bird Counts is that they occur annually, decade after decade, for better or for worse. Years with a poor showing are offset by the many others with strong participation. Here’s to next time!
Save the date: The 59th Upper Bucks CBC will be Sunday, 20 December 2026!
