Saturday December 19 was the date of the 2020 Ludington CBC. A light mist was falling in the barely above freezing temperatures during the 2 hours that I spent driving around my assigned area. The precipitation limited visibility as did the low cloud deck that engulfed the tops of the 300' tall wind turbines in my territory. All that contributed to a meager 97 birds of 12 species observed during a 2 hour drive that covered 20 miles.
At my house however, my feeders were abuzz with activity and a few rafts of ducks were within eye and camera range to boost my bird count totals. The highlight of my day were the two White-winged Crossbills that showed up for the ninth straight day. It is only the 5th time that they have been recorded on the Ludington CBC.
This year was the first time that I've seen Common Redpolls on a Christmas Bird Count.
The ducks out on Lake Michigan totaled 636. Lead by Long-tailed Ducks with 473, followed by Common Goldeneyes - 150 and Red-Breasted Mergansers - 13.
Mostly Common Goldeneyes
The only raptor that I saw all day was an adult Bald Eagle that flew along the bluff at the edge of my property.
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