Newspaper Page Text
Page 6C
January 19, 2022
MONROE OUTDOORS by Terry W. Johnson
Reporter
Low numbers for '21 Christmas bird count
he 2021 Annual
Piedmont Nation
al Wildlife Ref
uge/Rum Creek
Wildlife Management Area
Christmas Bird
Count was held
Monday, Dec. 20.
This marked the
50th anniversary
of our local event.
It was also the
122nd consecutive
year the Christ
mas Bird Count
(CBC) has been
held. This quali
fies the CBC
to be one of the longest-
running wildlife surveys in
the entire world.
The CBC is indeed the
premiere birding event
in the world. This fact is
clearly illustrated by the
numbers of participants
and counts held dur
ing the 121st Christmas
Bird Count. In 2020,
2,459 counts were held
worldwide. Some 72,815
observers took part in
these events. Their efforts
resulted in more than 44
million birds representing
2,355 species being tallied.
The data collected on the
counts is used by biologists
to investigate a number of
issues, such as monitoring
bird population trends and
assessing the impacts of
weather and global warm
ing on bird populations as
well as helping to identify
species in need of special
conservation measures.
Our local count was
sponsored by the United
States Fish and Wildlife
Service, Georgia Wildlife
Conservation Section and
The Environmental Re
sources Network
(TERN).
Volunteers
that participate
in the counts
attempt to tally
as many birds as
possible during a
24-hour period
within a count
circle measur
ing 15 miles
in diameter.
Our survey area blankets
the Rum Creek WMA, and
Piedmont NWR and a sliv
er of the Oconee National
Forest as well as a broad
swath of eastern Monroe
County and western Jones
County.
Weather plays a key role
in the success of any count.
This year proved to be no
exception. When the first
teams began searching for
birds well before dawn the
temperature was a chilly
41 °F. Under mostly cloudy
skies and 9 mph northwest
winds, it remained chilly all
day with the temperature
reaching a high of only
48 °F.
This year 10 volunteers
divided into five teams
took part in the count.
By the end of the day,
2,538 birds representing
71 species were recorded.
This marked the sixth con
secutive count that fewer
species were seen than
during the previous years
count.
Fewer (-39%) individuals
and species (-14%) were
seen than in the last year
(2019) the PNWR/RC-
WMA was held (the 2020
count was cancelled due
to Covid-19 concerns). It
should also be noted this
was the third count in a
row that total species seen
dropped below 90.
This trend is even more
alarming when you com
pare this years results with
the 1991 tally. In 1991,
9,890 total birds repre
senting 107 species were
recorded. In other words,
this years count team
found 74% fewer birds and
33% fewer species than on
the count held 30 years ago.
No abundance records
were either tied or broken
this year. In addition, no
new species were sighted to
add to the list of birds seen
on all counts. As a result,
the total number of species
during the 50-year history
of the count remains 159.
Atop the roster of the 10
birds most often seen this
year was the Cedar Wax
wing (196). This beautiful
songbird was followed by
the chipping sparrow (144),
American crow (129),
ruby-crowned kinglet
(110), white-throated spar
row (97), Carolina chicka
dee (96), black vulture
(95), eastern towhee (90),
Carolina wren (89),
Perhaps the most unusual
bird found this year was
the sedge wren. This small
(4.5-inches long) wren
nests in the Upper Midwest
and Southern Canada. It
lives out its life in grassy,
shrubby wet areas. The
sedge wren is rarely seen
on the count. If fact, the
record for the most seen on
an individual count is only
two.
Obviously many spe
cies sighted on previous
counts were not found this
year. However, waterbirds
proved to be exception
ally scarce. More than
30 species of waterbirds
have been seen during
the counts 50-year his
tory. This year only eight
(double-crested cormo
rant, pied-billed grebe,
red-breasted merganser,
hooded merganser, ring
necked duck, mallard,
wood duck and Canada
goose) were located.
However, all birds were
difficult to find. An 18-year
veteran of the count told
me, “This was the most
disappointing Piedmont
NWR/Rum Creek WMA
Christmas Bird Count I
have been on; numbers
of nearly all species were
down or absent.”
Other team members
said that dark skies, a cold,
damp wind, and chilly
temperatures made for one
of the most difficult counts
they had attended.
It is hoped that this years
count results prove to be
an anomaly. Only time will
tell if that proves to the
TERRY W. JOHNSON
MCMS soccer ready for season
By Ella Martin
Monroe County Middle School student
Monroe County Middle School soccer tryouts started Jan.
5 and ended Jan. 7. A lot of people tried out. The try-outs
consisted of running, scrimmages, passing and stretches. It
was really nice to see lots of newcomers for the girls team.
The boys team had a lot of people try out and had to cut
a lot because there was too many. Practices started the fol
lowing Monday and they are great. In soccer you have to do
tons of running so we practice a lot of that. Most practices
consist of running, passing, and some scrimmaging.
All of the newcomers are learning very quickly and doing
a very good job learning all the techniques they need. In
the Middle school team practice we learned the names and
introduced ourselves.
The three captains are doing very well in teaching and
leading us in warm-ups and drills. We all introduced our
selves by saying our name, grade, and position. We did basic
passing and touch drills and ran a lot. We had to work on
our vocal skills so coach made us do a drill where we yell for
the ball and the person’s name who was supposed to pass
the ball, this also helped with memorizing the names of our
teammates.
I’m really excited to see the growth of these girls and boys
and see how well the season is going to go!
MCMS boys improve to 6-1
By Michael Smallwood
michael.small wood® mcschools.org
The Monroe County Middle Lady
Dogs basketball team continued their
skid on Tuesday when they dropped
to 3-4 on the season. The Clifton
Ridge Lady Cougars defeated them
33-17.
The game started out as a somewhat
balanced affair with Ridge leading 8-4
at the end of the first quarter. Howev
er, as the game went on, Clifton Ridge
continually pressured the young Dogs
into turnovers. The Cougars were
able to run away with the game late.
Zoe Shannon led the Lady Dogs with
8 points.
The Monroe County boys stretched
their win streak to 4 and their overall
record to 6-1 with a win over Clif
ton Ridge. The Dogs offense started
slow but their defense was able to
stymie any effort from Ridge to take
advantage. The Bulldogs led 13-8 at
halftime but were able to finish the
game on a 21-0 run, holding Clifton
Ridge to no second half points. The
Bulldogs were led in scoring by Bray-
len Jones and Bud Morton who both
added 7 points each.
On Thursday Jan. 14, the Middle
School teams traveled to Pike County.
The Lady Dogs were able to get back
on track by picking up a win. The
Lady Dogs cruised for most of the
game, leading 16-4 at the half. Then
in the third quarter, the Lady dogs
extended their lead to 27-5. However,
the 4th quarter became the most
exciting. Pike came out firing and was
able to land several three pointers
early. Then Bulldog star Zoe Shan
non fouled out, leaving them with no
real scoring threat. Pike continued
the offensive onslaught and stormed
back to within three points at 27-24.
However, the Lady dogs were able to
muster just enough keep away offense
and rebounding to hold on for the
win. Shannon finished the game with
14 points.
The Bulldog boys team had their
4 game win streak snapped by an
inspired Pike team. The boys, playing
without star Braylen Jones and starter
Josiah Knight, had trouble getting
their uptempo game in rhythm. The
boys trailed by 7 at the end of 1 quar
ter and 12 points at the half. In the
3rd quarter the Bulldogs were able to
cut the lead down to 5 with scrappy
play, however they just couldn’t close
the gap. Pike seemed to hit all the
shots they needed down the stretch
to hold on for the win. The Bulldogs
were led by Bud Morton and Zimir
Shannon. Both scored 11 points.
Zach Goodson scored 8. All were
season highs.
Both teams will be back in action
next week when they take on Upson
Lee on Wednesday and Lort Valley on
Thursday
Offensive line coach Schuyler leaving MP
Mary Persons football
is losing its offensive line
coach and its first
recruiting coor
dinator as Josh
Schuyler is headed
to Warner Robins
after just one year
in Forsyth.
Schuyler had
replaced Jamar-
cus Johnson last
spring when Johnson took
the head coaching job at
Rutland High in Macon.
Warner Robins has won
back to back state champi
onships the last two years.
Schuyler had previ
ously been offensive
line coach and re
cruiting coordinator
at East Paulding High
School. He previously
served one year on
the MP staff about 15
years ago. Schuyler
played at Washington
County High.
Mary Persons head coach
Brian Nelson said Schuyler
did a good job.
“We hate to lose him,” nature of it these days.”
said Nelson. “But that’s the
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The cedar waxwing was the species most often seen on
this years local Christmas Bird Count. (Photo/Terry John
son)
case. Regardless, all of the
volunteers that braved the
weather on this count are
hoping that 2022 will prove
to be better.
Terry Johnson is retired
Program Manager of the
Georgia Nongame-Endan
gered Wildlife Program. He
has written the informative
column ‘Monroe Outdoors’
for the Reporter for many
years. His book, “A Journey
to Discovery,” is available at
The Reporter. Email him at
tjwoodduck@bellsouth.net.
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