The Black Swamp Audubon Society sponsors three Christmas Bird Counts:

December 14, 2004 was this count cirle's very first year! This year (2005) Doug Dunakin sent this message to Ohio-Birds@Envirolink: " Greetings on behalf of the Black Swamp Audubon Society! The second annual Black Swamp Christmas Bird Count (Paulding and Defiance Counties) was held yesterday, December 14, 2005. Participants included Doug and Micki (compiler) Dunakin, Bob & Jo Ann Zabonick, Audrey Grieser, Lach Ohman, John Yochum and Jon Diller. In spite of a nasty afternoon and the absence of open still water, we still managed a respectable 44 species total on the day. Birds of particular note included: Wild Turkey - 46, Pileated Woodpecker - 2, Red-breasted Nuthatch - 1, Carolina Wren - 2, Eastern Bluebird - 8, Yellow-rumped Warbler - 5, Swamp Sparrow - 1, White-throated Sparrow - 1, White-crowned Sparrow - 8, Lapland Longspur - 7, Snow Bunting - 400, Eastern Meadowlark - 13, Rusty Blackbird - 4. Other birds seen during count week (not yet finished) include: Great Blue Heron, Rough-legged Hawk, Sandhill Crane, Belted Kingfisher. Our thanks also to feeder watchers Bill & Millie Weaner, Cleo Ziegler, Pam Adams and Penny Hertel. All in all, it was a good, productive day. Although we failed to tally the 50 species that were found on our initial count, considering that most of the water was frozen and we consequently found almost no waterfowl, the numbers of non-aquatic species were actually higher this year. And so we thank all for a job well done and look forward to another, better count next year!! --Doug & Micki Dunakin Antwerp, Ohio"

This year (December 17, 2005) participants were Jon Diller, Doug Dunakin, Micki Dunakin, Joe Hildreth, Dean Flightner, John Yochum, and Jim Koehler .

This year (January 2, 2006) participants were Jon Diller Doug Dunakin Micki Dunakin , Lach Ohman, John Yochum, Bob Zabonick. 45 species reported on a rainy (sometimes thunderstorms! sometimes fog!) day that ranged from 38 to 47 degrees. Results are third in parentheses below:

2004-5 results are below, the Black Swamp Count first, the Goll Woods Count second, and the Oxbow Lake Count third in parentheses below:

2005-6 results are below, the Black Swamp Count first, the Goll Woods Count second, and the Oxbow Lake Count third in parentheses below:

Great Blue Heron (2,1,CW) (CW,2,32), Turkey Vulture(-,4,-), White Snow Goose (0,1,0)(0,0,CW), Blue Snow Goose (0,1,0) (0,0,CW), Cackling Goose (0,3,0), Canada Goose (280,1005,233)(215,2,977), Mute Swan (0,0,2), Gadwall (5,2,0), Am. Black Duck (4,2,0) (0,0,6), Mallard (466,78,8)(0,6,229), Northern Pintail (2,0,0), GreenWinged Teal (CW,0,0), Redhead (1,0,0), RingNecked Duck (CW,0,0), Lesser Scaup (3,0,0), Ruddy Duck (CW,3,0), Common Merganser (0,0,CW) ,(0,0,CW), Bald Eagle (0,0,1) (0,0,4), Northern Harrier (17,1,4)(4,5,5), SharpShinned Hawk (1,0,0)(-,1,0), Cooper's Hawk (2,3,1)(4,6,1), RedTailed Hawk (29,20,18)(10,18,13), RoughLegged Hawk (2,0,1)(CW,1,CW), Am Kestrel (21,17,11)(9,12,11), RingNecked Pheasant (2,0,5)(10,4,0), Wild Turkey (CW,3,62)(46,0,90), Sandhill Crane (CW,4,0), Killdeer (2,0,0), Bonaparte's Gull (CW,0,0), RingBilled Gull (CW,6,428) (0,0,8), Herring Gull (0,0,11) (0,0,2), Rock Pigeon (168,159,13)(127,125,233), Mourning Dove (105,68,138)(242,147,200), Eastern Screech Owl (3,0,2), (1,0,1) Great Horned Owl (2,1,CW)(0,2,1), Barred Owl (0,1,0), ShortEared Owl (1,0,0), (0,0,CW) Belted Kingfisher (0,1,2)(CW,0,2), RedHeaded Woodpecker (15,0,0)(18,6,2), RedBellied Woodpecker (40,15,18)(20,10,18), YellowBellied Sapsucker (0,0,1), Downy Woodpecker (49,23,30)(27,18,22), Hairy Woodpecker (8,1,3)(5,2,6), Northern Flicker (16,15,5)(1,5,5), Pileated Woodpecker (CW,0,0)(2,0,0), Blue Jay (72, 22,27) (68,41,96), Am Crow (32, 44,5)(20,32,19), Horned Lark (231,85,15)(314,260,CW), BlkCapped Chickadee (29,39,29)(19,29,19), Tufted Titmouse (34,7,4)(17,10,7), RedBreasted Nuthatch (4,3,1)(1,7,7), WhiteBreasted Nuthatch (47,21,27)(22,23,20), Brown Creeper (26,1,10)(7,5,11), Carolina Wren (11,2,6)(2,1,5), Winter Wren (0,0,1), RubyCrowned Kinglet (0,0,CW), GoldenCrowned Kinglet (CW,2,6)(0,2,1), Eastern Bluebird (9,17,2)(8,8,19), Hermit Thrush (0.1,0), American Robin (1,14,7), European Starling (1696,1148,1871)(624,580,1418), Cedar Waxwing (0,0,47)(5,2,0), YellowRumped Warbler (0,0,CW)(5,0,4), Eastern Towhee (0,0,1), AmTree Sparrow (120,30,63)(309,24,64), Song Sparrow (18,0,2)(77,27,5),Swamp Sparrow (1,0,0), WhiteThroated Sparrow (1,0,21)(1,1,0), WhiteCrowned Sparrow (7,0,1)(8,0,0), DarkEyed Junco (192,48,114)(454,144,39), Lapland Longspur (226,0,0)(7,6,0), Snow Bunting (442,0,0)(400,230,0), No Cardinal (96,31,49)(68,57,35), Eastern Meadowlark (13,0,0), Rusty Blackbird (4,0,0), RedWinged Blackbird (CW,0,0), BrownHeaded Cowbird (CW,0,0)(17,0,0), Purple Finch (3,0,CW), House Finch (99,14,12)(16,49,10), Pine Siskin (CW,1,0) (CW,0,0), Am Goldfinch (152,36,22)(76,23,51), House Sparrow (910,366,172)(725,458,76)

Records of birds-commonly-seen-on-this-count 32 (2005) Great Blue Heron, 1773 (2002) Canada Goose, 25 (1993) Am Black Duck, 229 (2005) Mallards, 50 (1993) Common Merganser, 4 (2005) Bald Eagle, 56 (1995) Harriers, 2 (1990) SharpShinned Hawk, 5 (2002) Cooper's Hawk, 37 (2001) RedTailed Hawks, 3 (1993) RoughLegged Hawks, 50 (1991) Kestrels, 19 (2002) Pheasants, 80 (2005) Wild Turkeys, 593 (1999) RingBilled Gulls, 237 (1999) Herring Gulls, 201 (1995) Mourning Doves, 3 (1993) Screech Owl, 3 (1992) GreatHorned Owl, 5 (1991) ShortEared Owls, 4 (1999) Belted Kingfishers, 6 (1991) RedHeaded Woodpeckers, 27 (2003) RedBellied Woodpeckers, 41 (1993) Downy Woodpeckers, 7 (1991) Hairy Woodpeckers, 23 (1991) Flickers, 97 (2000) Blue Jays, 71 (1989) Crows, 263 (1999) Horned Larks, 49 (2001) BlackCapped Chickadees, 44 (1990) Tufted Titmice, 9 (2000) RedBreasted Nuthatches, 50 (1991) WhiteBreasted Nuthatches, 11 (2005) Brown Creepers, 7 (1993) Carolina Wrens, 5 (2002) RubyCrowned Kinglets, 12 (1992) GoldenCrowned Kinglets, 29 (2003) Bluebirds, 7 (2004) Robin, 2178 (2000) Starlings, 137 (2000) Cedar Waxwings, 32 (2000) YellowRumped Warblers, 194 (1995) Am Tree Sparrows, 3 (1997) Field Sparrows, 67 (1990) Song Sparrows, 21 (2004) WhiteThroated Sparrows, 145 (2001) Juncos, 200 (1997) Lapland Longspurs, 272 (1993) Snow Buntings, 85 (1993) Cardinals, 11 (1997) Meadowlarks, 25 (1991) Cowbirds, 242 (2001) Housefinches, 67 (1991) Goldfinches, 766 (2001) House Sparrows, 309 (1997) Rock Doves.

Specie count records...*

52 in 1993, (51 in 2004, 48 in 1999, 1991 and 1990)

Birds seldom seen on Christmas Counts here...* American Bittern (1995), PiedBilled Grebe (1999), Snow Goose (1993), Tundra Swan (2002, 1989), Wood Duck (1992, 1994), Gadwall (1999, 1989), BlueWinged Teal (1989), Lesser Scaup (1993, 1989), Bufflehead (1989), Canvasback (2000), Common Goldeneye (2000,1993, 1989), RedBreasted Merganser (1993), Killdeer (1990), Bonaparte's Gull (1991), Lesser BlackBacked Gull (2000), Great BlackBacked Gull (2000), YellowBellied Sapsucker (2004, 1993), No. Shrike (1990, 1995), Winter Wren (2004, 1997), RufousSided Towhee (2004, 1991), Vesper Sparrow (1989), Swamp Sparrow (1990,1995), WhiteCrowned Sparrow (2004, 1989, 1990, 2001), Purple Finch (2004, 1989), Grackle (1991,1996), RedWinged Blackbird (2000,2002), Common Redpoll (1993,1999), Pine Siskins (1990,1999)

85 Species have been seen on Oxbow Lake Christmas Counts.

Records broken 2005-6: Great Blue Herons,Wild Turkeys, Mallards, Bald Eagles, Brown Creepers

Records broken 2004-5: Wild Turkeys, Brown Creepers, Robins, WhiteThroated Sparrows

Records broken last year in 2003-4: Wild Turkeys, RedBellied Woodpeckers, Bluebirds

* per the audubon.org/bird/cbc website

Micki and Doug Dunakin started and led every Oxbow Lake count since 1985, until 2004-5.