Date: 12/19/25 3:37 pm From: Don & Janis Paseka via groups.io <paseka76...> Subject: [NEBirds] 2025 Ames CBC
On Tuesday December 16, the 20th iteration of the Ames CBC was completed.. The weather was great with afternoon temps in the low fifties and light winds all day. Unfortunately, the brief cold snap over the weekend left almost all of the standing water frozen and the Platte River clogged with moving ice. Even though the total number of individuals counted was below average, the total number of species found was the third highest at 70.
The single Gray Catbird was the only species new to the count. Otherwise there weren't many high counts. But with a few exceptions, we did find most of the species that have been found in more than half of the past years.
While we had five goose species plus Trumpeter Swans (fourth time), ducks were mostly a different story. Wood ducks were found for only the third time and American Wigeon for the second time, but the only diving ducks present were Common Goldeneye. Common Merganser was missed for only the fifth time.
It was such a nice day, a lone Killdeer was walking and calling on the Valley View golf course. This is only the fourth occurrence for them.
We counted five species of owls, including two Long-eared Owls (third time) and a Short-eared Owl (sixth time).
We had seven woodpecker species. A Red-headed was found for the fourth time and three Pileateds were counted. This was the fifth occurrence for them and the first time that more than one has been found. Several parties had Red-bellied Nuthatches and the total of nine was a new high count. Also on a positive note, the 35 Eastern Bluebirds is the best count for them in the last ten years, and for those of you concerned with their status, the count of 732 House sparrows ties with 2023 for high count.
I would like to thank the dedicated participants and the landowners who make this count more of a success than I ever thought possible twenty years ago.
If anyone would like a complete list of this years or the past twenty years' results, contact me off-list and I will send it to you.
