For two decades, volunteers have participated in the Stinchfield Woods Breeding Birds Survey by counting birds heard and seen on a weekend morning in early June. The count typically yields species from Michigan's north such as Pine, Blackburnian, and Black-throated Green Warblers, Blue-headed Vireos, and Red-breasted Nuthatches and Ohio's south such as Acadian flycatchers and Hooded warblers.
Year 2011's count took place on a warm, sunny Saturday, June 4, 2011, from 7 to 11:15 am. Special thanks go to our band of 10 volunteer counters. The 703 total individuals was the second-lowest in 14 years -- well below the 14-year average of 751.3 individual birds. In terms of number of species, birders counted 54 species, also lower than the 14-year average of 56.9.
Only two species were at an all-time high: Red-winged blackbirds at 15 and PILEATED WOODPECKERS at 3. On the north central side of the woods, one group saw 2 adult PILEATED including 1 singing on and on and on; on the far east side, a second group heard one PILEATED singing at length. There were good numbers of HOODED WARBLERS at 13. A few of us lingered afterwards and saw the Hooded warbler on the main road heading southbound up the hill from Stinchfield Woods Road. Earlier in the morning, this same Hooded and a far-away Hooded alternated songs. Very cool! At the radio tower, a group heard a female chipping while two males chased each other. Double cool!
Conspicuously absent were Hairy woodpeckers, House wrens, and Yellow warblers. At all-time low numbers were Indigo buntings at 8 -- half as many as the previous all-time low of 16 and Towhees at 3.
Highest numbers were Chickadees at 59, Eastern wood-pewees at 52, and Chipping sparrows at 43. This year marks the 5th in 14 years in which Chickadees outnumbered all other species.
Some folks speculated that doing the count so early in the June might yield migrating flycatchers and warblers. This did not happen.
Please mark your calendars now for next year's Stinchfield count on Sun., June 3, 2012, 7 to 11:15 am. Thanks again to the ten birders who took part in this year's count.
Consult the table below for species heard and seen from 1998 to 2011 (asterisk indicating highest number of species in the year). The table will grow in the years to come. Over the last 14 years, the count has averaged 56.9 species and 751.3 individuals. An issue of Michigan Birding and Natural History gives a five-year summary and interpretation of the count before this time period by two longtime volunteers, J. Latham Claflin and John M. Swales.
| Species | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 |
| Canada Goose | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sandhill Crane | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Great Blue Heron | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Green-backed Heron | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 8 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 14 | 9 | 4 | 6 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Red-Tailed Hawk | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| American kestral | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ring-billed Gull | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ruffed Grouse | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Wild Turkey | 1 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Killdeer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mourning Dove | 6 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 18 | 9 |
| Black-billed Cuckoo | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Barred Owl | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Great Horned Owl | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Chimney Swift | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Ring-necked Pheasant | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | 11 | 10 | 5 | 17 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 28 | 10 | 15 | 7 | 11 | 4 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 6 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 3 |
| Hairy Woodpecker | 0 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Pileated Woodpecker | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern Flicker | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Eastern Wood Pewee | 52 | 59 | 48 | 57 | 38 | 47 | 46 | 43 | 44 | 48 | 36 | 30 | 30 | 32 |
| Acadian Flycatcher | 19 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 16 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| Willow Flycatcher | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Least Flycatcher | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Great Crested Flycatcher | 6 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 15 | 6 |
| Eastern Phoebe | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Olive-sided Flycatcher | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Eastern Kingbird | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tree Swallow | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Barn Swallow | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10 |
| Purple Martin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Belted Kingfisher | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mallard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Wood Duck | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Blue Jay | 40 | 63* | 37 | 24 | 27 | 33 | 33 | 54 | 53 | 63 | 38 | 41 | 59 | 49 |
| American Crow | 31 | 59 | 38 | 39 | 56 | 36 | 45 | 26 | 41 | 48 | 53 | 55 | 37 | 45 |
| Black-capped Chickadee | 59* | 56 | 50 | 45 | 52 | 49 | 47 | 60 | 80* | 89* | 75* | 45 | 73 | 81* |
| Tufted Titmouse | 24 | 22 | 15 | 36 | 33 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 33 | 22 | 21 | 13 | 21 | 29 |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | 9 | 5 | 15 | 8 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 20 | 18 | 12 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 15 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 15 | 5 |
| Brown Creeper | 6 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Carolina Wren | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| House Wren | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden-crowned Kinglet | 1 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 18 |
| Blue-grey gnatcatcher | 2 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Eastern Bluebird | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Veery | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Wood Thrush | 4 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 16 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| American Robin | 8 | 23 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 17 | 20 |
| Gray Catbird | 8 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| Cedar Waxwing | 40 | 11 | 21 | 0 | 10 | 42 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 17 | 26 | 45 | 14 | 24 |
| European Starling | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blue-headed Vireo | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Yellow-throated Vireo | 4 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Warbling Vireo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Red-eyed Vireo | 39 | 46 | 29 | 46 | 39 | 49 | 39 | 50 | 47 | 41 | 36 | 25 | 30 | 19 |
| Blue-winged Warbler | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| Yellow Warbler | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Yellow-throated Warbler | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chestnut-sided Warbler | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Black-throated Green Warbler | 8 | 13 | 28 | 13 | 10 | 18 | 16 | 29 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 7 | 13 | 11 |
| Blackpoll | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Redstart | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Pine Warbler | 28 | 41 | 30 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 36 | 26 | 31 | 23 | 24 | 15 | 19 | 22 |
| Ovenbird | 36 | 39 | 33 | 50 | 35 | *51 | 51 | *63 | 63 | 57 | 67 | *62 | 54 | 53 |
| Common Yellowthroat | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Hooded Warbler | 13 | 18 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Magnolia Warbler | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Warbler | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tennessee Warbler | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blackburnian Warbler | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern Parula | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Black-throated Blue Warbler | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Black-and-white warbler | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Scarlet Tanager | 10 | 22 | 16 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 9 | 23 | 8 | 24 | 18 | 13 | 12 |
| Northern Cardinal | 32 | 32 | 32 | 60 | 34 | 44 | 32 | 44 | 48 | 47 | 30 | 52 | 57 | 39 |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Indigo Bunting | 8 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 25 | 31 | 34 | 20 | 28 | 31 | 27 | 26 |
| Eastern Towhee | 3 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 8 |
| Chipping Sparrow | 43 | 42 | 50 | 62* | 57* | 28 | 48 | 57 | 45 | 38 | 44 | 53 | 74* | 71 |
| Field Sparrow | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 5 |
| Swamp Sparrow | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Song Sparrow | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 5 |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 15 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| Common Grackle | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | 17 | 19 | 36 | 16 | 20 | 14 | 8 | 15 | 22 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 12 |
| Baltimore Oriole | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Orchard Oriole | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| House Finch | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| American Goldfinch | 33 | 25 | *56 | 32 | 46 | 42 | *57 | 23 | 46 | 44 | 43 | 55 | 39 | 43 |
| White-throated Sparrow | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Species | 54 | 53 | 53 | 57 | 52 | 61 | 61 | 60 | 58 | 61 | 58 | 49 | 61 | 58 |
| Total Individuals | 703 | 800 | 717 | 762 | 688 | 732 | 714 | 754 | 871 | 806 | 738 | 717 | 769 | 753 |
