FARMINGTON — Area birders participated in the 126th Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 14, marking the 50th running of the Farmington Circle as part of the nation’s longest-running community science bird project.

Nineteen participants surveyed birds across New Vineyard, Industry, downtown Farmington, New Sharon, West Farmington, East Wilton, Temple, Fairbanks and Strong. Together, they logged about 45 hours and recorded 41 species, a total slightly above the Farmington Circle’s long-term average.

“Some of this data will get refined a little bit as I have a couple of feeder tallies yet to add,” compiler Tim Flight wrote in an update to participants.

Flight noted that participation and effort closely matched historical norms.

“Almost exactly matching our average over fifty years of the Farmington Circle,” he said of the hours logged birding.

The five most frequently counted species were European starling, blue jay, black-capped chickadee, mourning dove and rock pigeon. Flight highlighted the prominence of nonnative birds in this year’s totals.

During the count, participants observed a flock of 52 snow buntings in Farmington, along with a large concentration of about 275 European starlings gathered in a single tree.

“My biggest takeaway so far is that two out of our top five species and one out of every four birds we encountered was not a native species,” Flight said in his update. “My second takeaway is that you are a wonderful, dedicated group of birders and I’m happy to be compiler for your circle.”

Species encountered by nearly every group included blue jay, black-capped chickadee, mourning dove, American crow, American goldfinch, white-breasted nuthatch, northern cardinal, tufted titmouse and hairy woodpecker.

Other birds were recorded by only one group, including Canada goose, cedar waxwing, Eastern bluebird, golden-crowned kinglet, northern shrike, song sparrow, barred owl, common merganser and white-throated sparrow.

“‘Bird of the day’ would have to be the northern shrike found by Ruby and Trevor,” Flight said. “Great bird.”

Notable absences from this year’s count included mallard and American robin. Flight said additional analysis of species trends will follow once remaining feeder tallies are added.

Audubon’s 126th Christmas Bird Count season runs through Jan. 5, 2026, with each count circle selecting one day within that window to conduct surveys.

The count takes place annually and invites volunteers of all experience levels to contribute long-term data used to track changes in bird populations and habitat use.

People interested in participating can view an online map of count circles to find open locations, contact local compilers in advance of count day and sign up to receive updates and results through Audubon’s American Birds email newsletter.

Audubon partners with Birds Canada to coordinate Christmas Bird Counts nationwide, with Birds Canada overseeing all Canadian counts.

The Farmington Circle is coordinated locally through Western Maine Audubon, a chapter of Maine Audubon. Maine Audubon works to conserve the state’s wildlife and wildlife habitat by engaging people of all ages in education, conservation and action.

Western Maine Audubon was formed in 1970 and became a chapter of Maine Audubon following a merger with the National Audubon Society in 2000. The chapter focuses on educating and engaging people in western Maine around birds, other wildlife and their habitats for the benefit of local communities and the natural environment.

Flight, an avid and experienced birder who lives and works in western Maine, took over leadership of Western Maine Audubon nearly a year ago, following several years of prior leadership that emphasized educational programming and community engagement. The chapter hosts public talks and events throughout the year, including an upcoming presentation, “Snowy Owls with Scott Weidensaul: A Project SNOWStorm Update,” scheduled for Feb. 5 from 6-7:30 p.m.