The results are back from this year’s Lake Leelanau Christmas Bird Count, where a group of premier birders scour the peninsula’s countryside and waterways to tally its birds within a 15-mile-wide circle, as part of a 121-year old tradition.

Nate Crane, longtime birder — his first serious foray into finding birds in the county was at age 10 — owner of Rare Bird Brewpub, and coordinator of the Lake Leelanau Bird Count, tells the Leelanau Ticker that he’s “compiled the checklists and checked them twice.”

Some highlights and shout-outs, straight from Crane, a.k.a “Bird Man:”

• We had 21 counters and produced 64 species on Count Day (Dec. 16) and 67 total species for Count Week — a new Count Day record and new Count Week total record!

• Pat O’ Connor (and Co.) found the first ever Gadwall for the Lake Leelanau Count and Matt Winkler picked up another species first, a (Count Week) American Wigeon. The mild November created favorable conditions for dabblers. 

• Alison Vilag paddled Victoria Creek and turned up the only Redhead and Ken Gregory the only two Greater Scaup. Aythya [diving ducks] sure aren't wintering in the Great Lakes like they used to 5 years ago. 

• Kirk Waterstripe and Alison Vilagpicked up seven Trumpeter Swan (pictured). That is a new high count for that endangered species. There was one Mute Swan seen. What a nice trend.

• Three total Ruffed Grouse warms my heart and makes me hope the future looks bright. They are essentially extirpated from Pennsylvania and no one knows why. The trend is creeping into the Great Lakes.

• At least two Double-crested Cormorant were seen in Leland Harbor; also at least two Belted Kingfisher along the Lake Leelanau Narrows.

• We had an awesome collection of hawks seen on Count Day. Highlights were a Northern Goshawk found by Kathy Kaczynski and a Red-shouldered Hawk by Ken Gregory. 

• There were no owls seen on Count Day. Thankfully Kathy Kaczynski and the Hoods both picked up Count Week Barred Owl.

• We almost had our first Evening Grosbeaks on Count Day since 1990. Matt Winkler had them the day before. He did get a Count Day Red-winged Blackbird — a great consolation prize.   

Next, Crane will send the official bird tallies to the Audubon Society; the counts help track bird movements, assess bird population health and guide meaningful conservation action.

Photo: Islander Images