The Audubon Society concluded their 2005 Christmas bird count for Leelanau County event on December 29. The team consisted of Leelanau residents Norman Bistodeau, Pat O'Connor, Charles & Kathy Johnson, Leonard & Barb Graf, and Alice Van Zoeren, as well as Nate Crane, Steffi Podolan, Ed Moehle, Mike Jorae and Tom Pierson. Robert Carstens, of the Grand Traverse Audubon Club, was the compiler and coordinator.

Unusual sightings recorded include the Winter Wren by Norm Bistodeau and Mike Jorae, shown in this fine photo. Winter wrens, like some other species, will remain in Michigan during the winter if they have a dependable food source .... however, locating them in the winter when they are not singing takes determination and special knowledge and skills.

Bistodeau and Jorae also observed the only Bohemian Waxwings in all four counties - Benzie, G.T., Leelanau, and Antrim. Bohemian Waxwings are birds of ice and frost as this photo (taken in England on a cold wintry day in February) shows -- ice clinging to the bare twigs, contrasting with the soft gray textures of the bird. The shot also shows the odd wax-like droplets on the wings for which the birds are named.

12 Northern Bobwhite were spotted at Leonard Graf's feeding area on Fouch Road in Leelanau County. They were thought to have escaped or released birds raised to train hunting dogs. Others like a Brown-headed Cowbird which usually migrate and was seen at least five years ago.

One species that has not been seen in the Leelanau County for the past 3 years is the Red-headed Woodpeckers, a distinctive and elegant species that are birds of semi-open country, and can often be found in and around isolated shelterbelts and groves. Over 30 were observed at one time during a Christmas count a few years past at a large grove of majestic beech trees near the corner of Townline and Bodus Rd. The grove was logged off. None has been sighted since.

Leonard Graf who lives in Leelanua County is the Compiler for the Grand traverse Christmas Bird Count. He has written an informative book Birds of Leelanau County.

A complete list of bird seen arranged alphabetically follows below.

American Crow 694
American Goldfinch 222
American Robin 7
American Tree Sparrow 5
Bald Eagle 2
Barred Owl 2
Black Duck 8
Black-capped Chickadee 763
Blue Jay 86
Bohemian Waxwing 4
Bonaparte’s Gull 1
Brown Creeper 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Bufflehead 197
Canada Geese 89
Cedar Waxwing 203
Common Goldeneye 235
Common Merganser 93
Common Raven 8
Common Redpoll 9
Cooper’s Hawk 1
Dark-eyed Junco 59
Downy Woodpecker 26
Eastern Bluebird 37
European Starling 1159
Golden-crowned Kinglet 9
Gull Species 66
Hairy Woodpecker 14
Herring Gull 19
Horned Grebe 8
House Finch 102
House Sparrow 85
Lesser Scaup 36
Mallard 240
Mourning Dove 306
Mute Swan 33
Northern Bobwhite 12
Northern Cardinal 44
Northern Shrike 2
Pileated Woodpecker 7
Pine Siskin 19
Purple Finch 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker 18
Red-breasted Merganser 4
Red-breasted Nuthatch 33
Red-tailed Hawk 5
Ring-billed Gull 78
Rock Dove 81
Rough-legged Hawk 1
Ruffed Grouse 1
Scaup Species 400
Tufted Titmouse 23
White-breasted Nuthatch 55
White-throated Sparrow 1
Wild Turkey 84
Winter Wren 1