Big Sit 2022 Results

Our chapter birders got a front-row seat to fall migration Saturday, Oct. 8, at our Audrey Carroll Sanctuary in Mount Airy for the Big Sit. This annual international birding event was founded by the New Haven (Connecticut) Bird Club.

Birders were challenged to see how many birds they could identify while staying within a 17-foot diameter circle. They engaged in a friendly competition with birders from the Frederick Bird Club, who birded in a circle at our Fred Archibald Sanctuary in New Market.

Our ASCM chapter team earned the coveted Golden Falcon trophy, observing a total of 72 species compared to the FBC’s 58. The two groups observed 80 species in all.

In addition to a community science event to gather data on migration, the Big Sit is a fundraiser for our all-volunteer chapter. There is still time to make a tax-deductible contribution in support of our birders (be sure to select “the Big Sit” in the Additional Information field when you check out). Checks payable to ASCM may be sent to PO Box 660, Mount Airy, MD 21771.

Your donation helps us maintain nearly 300 acres of habitat for birds and other wildlife. Thank you for your support!

Big Sit Checklist

The following list includes the 80 species observed by ASCM and Frederick Bird Club birders for the 2022 Big Sit. Those marked with an asterisk were observed from both count circles.

In addition to birds flying over or near the count circle, birders identified species via nocturnal flight calls recorded by a phone placed in a plastic container at the top of the chimney swift tower, located in the center of the observation circle.

The resulting sonograms were then compared with sonograms of known species to make the identification. Birds identified in this way included American bittern, a first for the Audrey Carroll Sanctuary, and gray-cheeked or Bicknell’s thrush (because the sonograms of these two species overlap, identification to species was not confirmed).

Bitterns, Herons and Egrets

American bittern*

Great blue heron

Green heron

Blackbirds, Orioles, and Kin

Brown-headed cowbird

Common grackle

Red-winged blackbird*

Cardinals and Kin

Dicksissel

Indigo bunting

Northern cardinal

Chickadees and Titmice

Carolina chickadee*

Tufted titmouse*

Ducks and Geese

Canada goose*

Mallard*

Wood duck

Falcons

American kestrel

Finches and Kin

American goldfinch*

House finch*

Purple finch

Hawks, Eagles, and Kin

Bald eagle*

Broad-winged hawk

Cooper’s hawk*

Northern harrier

Osprey

Red-shouldered hawk*

Red-tailed hawk*

Sharp-shinned hawk*

Jays and Crows

American crow*

Blue jay*

Common raven

Fish crow

Kingfishers

Belted kingfisher*

Kinglets

Golden-crowned kinglet

Ruby-crowned kinglet*

Lapwings and Plovers

Killdeer*

Mimics

Brown thrasher

Gray catbird*

Northern mockingbird*

New World Sparrows

Chipping sparrow*

Eastern towhee*

Field sparrow*

Grasshopper sparrow

Savannah sparrow

Song sparrow*

Swamp sparrow*

White-throated sparrow*

New World Vultures

Black vulture*

Turkey Vulture*

Nighthawks

Common nighthawk

Nuthatches

White-breasted nuthatch*

Old World Sparrows

House sparrow*

Owls

Barred owl

Great horned owl

Pigeons and Doves

Mourning dove*

Rock pigeon*

Sandpipers

American woodcock

Starlings

European starling*

Swallows

Tree swallow*

Swifts

Chimney swift*

Thrushes

American robin*

Eastern bluebird*

Gray-cheeked/Bicknell’s thrush

Swainson’s thrush*

Veery

Tyrant Flycatchers

Eastern phoebe*

Eastern wood-pewee

Vireos

Blue-headed vireo*

Warblers

American redstart

Black-throated green warbler

Common yellowthroat*

Palm warbler (western)

Yellow-rumped warbler*

Waxwings

Cedar waxwing*

Woodpeckers

Downy woodpecker*

Hairy woodpecker

Northern flicker*

Pileated woodpecker*

Red-bellied woodpecker*

Yellow-bellied sapsucker*

Wrens

Carolina wren*

Winter wren