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Christmas Bird Count, Fisherville

Christmas Bird Count, Fisherville

Compiled by: Linda Thrower

December 28, 2015

Sadly, The Fisherville Bird Count lost two of its long-time members this year: Jim Heslop and Wes Raymond. Sincere condolences to both families and friends, they will be greatly missed.

Another reality has hit me this year, I do not think “bird” very well. I would have thought, with all the warm weather leading up to this count, and count day being the first really cold day, that the birds would have been out looking for food everywhere. Oh well, I was wrong again. There was a very nasty cold wind, so a big Thank You to all who participated. I do find it quite amazing what species we were able to find in spite of the weather.

Here are the highs and the lows of the count.

Species 2015 count (2014 count)

Common Loon 1 (1 in 2012)
Horned Grebe 9 (4)
Sandhill Crane 2 (7)
Great Blue Heron 3 (2)
Canada Goose 2670 (2761)
Mute Swan 2 (2)
Tundra Swan 172 (260)
Wood Duck 1 (3)
Gadwall 94 (205)
Am. Widgeon 4 (1 in 2013)
Am. Black Duck 4 (17)
Mallard 436 (1604)
Mallard/Black Duck X 1 (0)
Northern Pintail 1 (7 in 2013)
Canvasback 1 (4 in 2013)
Redhead 3 (805)
Greater Scaup 63 (3091)
Surf Scoter 1 (80 in 1995)
White-wing Scoter 2 (1 in 2013)
Bufflehead 351 (401)
Common Goldeneye 62 (224)
Common Merganser 81 (417)
Red-br. Merganser 262 (701)
Bald Eagle 12 (9)
Northern Harrier 34 (24)
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 (5)
Cooper’s Hawk 4 (6)
Red-tailed Hawk 117 (128)
Rough-legged Hawk 7 (24)
Am. Kestrel 12 (34)
Peregrine Falcon 1 (2 in 2013)
Wild Turkey 24 68)
Killdeer 1 (2 in 2012)
Bonaparte’s Gull 312 (152)
Ring-billed Gull 2378 (1792)
Herring Gull 44 (191)
Gr. Black-backed Gull 8 (4)
Rock Pigeon 367 (374)
Mourning Dove 163 (252)
Eastern Screech Owl 4 (16)
Gr. Horned Owl 5 (5)
Snowy Owl 2 (4)
Long-eared Owl 8 (9)
Short-eared Owl 2 (2)
Red-bellied Woodpecker 28 (47)
Downy Woodpecker 53 (77)
Hairy Woodpecker 6 (9)
Northern Flicker 1 (1)
Shrike 1 (2)
Blue Jay 202 (221)
Am. Crow 191 (828)
Horned Lark 4 (55)
Bl.-capped Chickadee 259 (35)
Tufted Titmouse 18 (9)
Red-breasted Nuthatch 3 (12)
White-breasted Nuthatch 43 (58)
Brown Creeper 5 (8)
Carolina Wren 1 (8)
Golden-crowned Kinglet 23 (8)
Eastern Bluebird 17 (20)
Hermit Thrush 1 (1 in 2013)
Am. Robin 7 (2)
Northern Mockingbird 1 (10)
European Starling 2446 (1806)
Cedar Waxwing 47 (41 in 2013)
Am. Tree Sparrow 306 (266)
Swamp Sparrow 2 (3)
Song Sparrow 8 (6)
White-throated Sparrow 8 (10)
Dark-eyed Junco 407 (265)
Oregon Junco 1 first this count
Snow Bunting 1 (40)
Northern Cardinal 76 (86)
Red-winged Blackbird 50 (196)
Rusty Blackbird 1 (20)
Br.-headed Cowbird 1286 (1191)
House Finch 79 (112)
Am. Goldfinch 183 (227)
House Sparrow 796 (812)

Total Species 79
Total Individuals 14,361

Now the 32 Participants who braved the cold day:

Rob Crawford
Tom Thomas
Richard Skevington
Bill Smith
Jeff Skevington
Ron Campeau
Adrian Juurlink
Hugh McArthur
Neil Faulkenham
Jody Allair
Bill Read
Thomas Harrison
Jerry Gunther
Milou Geven
Beth Powell
Fred Kopier
George Pond
Rob Smuck
Allan Aubin
Deny Gardiner
Rick Dowson
Bob Stamp
Reuven Martin
Barry Jones
Pilar Manorome
Al Thrower
Adam Timpf
Linda Thrower
Matt Timpf
Audrey Heagy
Janice Chard
David Okines

Start Time: 12 Midnight
Finish Time: 6 pm.

Temperature: -4 c to -3c
Winds: 20 to 40 km NE
No Snow Cover
Cloudy
Visibility: 8km
Water: Open, waves ½ to ¾ of a meter.

Hours on Foot 35.84
Hours by Car 45
Km on Foot 50.7
Km by Car 751.9
Hours Owling 2.25
Km Owling 20

Number of Observers 32
Number of Parties 12
Number of Feeders 4
Feeder Hours 16

Story of the Day

I must tell you the story of the day. We were on top of the ash hill at Ontario Power Generation watching a Bald Eagle when all of a sudden it spotted a Red-tailed Hawk. It and the Red-tail ended up talon to talon, spinning in the air until the Red-tail was very close to the ground and then the Eagle let the Red–tail go just in time to right itself and land safely on the ground.

Not something I see every day!

So, a special mention to Ontario Power Generation Plant for allowing access to their property.

Linda Thrower, Compiler