Wednesday, December 15, 2010

17th Annual Christmas Bird Count

The 17th annual Huntsville Christmas Bird Count was held on Tuesday, December 14. It was cold with a gusty northwest wind and it snowed in the morning. The big lakes were all open, as was most of the Muskoka River. The total species and individuals were about average.

Preliminary results show:
Total Species: 39 (average is 39)
Total Individuals: 2,481 (average is 2,899)

Noteworthy Species for the Count:
-Trumpeter Swan: male (#586) on river in Huntsville for eighth winter.
-Wood Duck: male on river in Huntsville (likely same bird as on 2009 count).
-Ring-necked Duck: female on river in Huntsville (likely same bird as on 2009 count).
-Bald Eagle: 7 (previous high was 3)
-Red-tailed Hawk: 1
-American Robin: 1
-Bohemian Waxwing: 3
-House Sparrow: 1 (first on count since 2006)
Finches:
-Pine Grosbeak: 2
-Common Redpoll: 112
-Hoary Redpoll: 1 (at feeder with 15 Common Redpolls near Penfold Lake off
Stephenson Road 12 East, south of Huntsville).
-Pine Siskin: 4
-American Goldfinch: 31
-Evening Grosbeak: 81

Thanks to all participants for a great job on a bitterly cold day.
Ron Tozer
Compiler

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ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization.
Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca
For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/