Each January, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) conducts—by helicopter—a “Mid-Winter Bald Eagle Survey” of southeastern New York.

Flying on a clear, cold January 7 the team, headed by Peter Nye, found heavy snow blanketing the area, but extensive open water on the Hudson and Delaware Rivers. Nye noted, too, that snow in the trees made “observation of perched eagles difficult.”

Lacking the space to reprint Nye’s chart, I’ll summarize it in another format:

• Hudson River (Troy to Croton Point): 44 birds
• Sullivan County (general): 7 birds
• Mongaup River: 109 birds
• Port Jervis to Hancock (Delaware River): 41 birds
• West Branch Delaware River to Cannonsville: 6 birds
• Cannonsville Reservoir: 8 birds
• Pepactpon Reservoir: 19 birds

This population included 90 adults and 144 immature birds (73 at Mongaup River) for a total of 234 eagles.

It compares very well with 213 eagles sighted along the same route in 2001, and a record of 238 eagles observed in 2000.

Some of Nye’s comments bear repeating.

“Noteworthy were the number of immatures this year (a record, and a good indication of healthy reproduction) and the numbers of eagles observed along the lower Hudson and especially along the Mongaup River.

“The Mongaup count is believed to be an undercount, given the sheer number of birds and the difficulty in counting them.

“Very few geese were observed along the Delaware during this year’s survey.” (I wonder why. One January in the 1980s I counted about 600 geese overwintering below the Cochecton-Damascus Bridge, including a goose that had been banded in Canada, north of Hudson’s Bay).