Greetings all,

Yesterday morning I walked my 6.25 mile Penacook bird survey for the 
last time in 2006, as good a way as any to end the year.  It was 
especially fitting because I started 2006 in the exact same way.

I'll spare everyone the details, but the Jan 1 survey turned up 29 
species and 467 individuals, while yesterday the respective numbers 
were 26 and 336.  For many species the numbers a year apart are 
remarkably similar (although I wouldn't posit this actually MEANS 
anything):

Mourning Dove = 28 and 27
American Crow = 16 and 14
Tufted Titmouse = 14 and 11
Cedar Waxwing = 38 and 30
Northern Cardinal = 6 and 8

While in contrast some are very different:

Mallard = 0 and 31 (the river hasn't frozen)
Blue Jay = 53 and 12
Black-capped Chickadee = 136 and 34
Dark-eyed Junco = 19 and 74
Common Redpoll = 42 and 0

Including and in-between these two walks I calculate that I walked a 
minimum of 550 miles and biked a minimum of 150 miles, covering 
mostly Concord, but with regular incursions into Boscawen and single 
trips into Hopkinton and Canterbury.  In the course of all those 
miles (and just by being in my yard!) I found 162 species, which 
might be my best human-powered year to date (and perhaps better than 
many car-powered NH year lists!).  In contrast, I "only" found 145 
species in 2005, but that was before the initiation of the "Great 
Penacook Walkabout."  There were three somewhat embarrassing misses 
in 2006: Merlin, Wilson's Warbler, and snow Bunting, but such is the 
nature of birding.

Perhaps I can reach 170 in 2007 - still largely restricted to the 
city of Concord.

And on that note: Happy New Year Everyone, and Good Birding,

Pam Hunt
Penacook, NH

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