----- Original Message -----
From: Dennis Barry
To: [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, December 20, 2008 12:21 AM
Subject: Minden CBC Highlights from Sunday, December 14
The count total of 42 species was about average for recent counts.
The count was held on Sunday, December 14. Snow cover was 60 to 75 cm, and
falling snow during the morning reduced viibility.
The only new species for the count was a count week Red-throated Loon on Gull
Lake on December 12. The lake froze over on Decemebr 13 .
Waterfowl numbers were low due to the extreme cold. However, two Belted
Kingfishers were recorded near the mouth of Gull River.
The most abundant species on the count was White-winged Crossbill with a record
high of 1482, compared to the previous high of 387.
Other finch numbers were
Pine Grosbeak 2
Red Crossbill 1
Common Redpoll 337
Pine Siskin 1004
American Goldfinch 172
Evening Grosbeak 22
Pine Siskins were often in large flocks feeding in birches and white cedars, as
were some of the Common Redpolls and goldfinches. White-winged Crossbills were
feeding mainly on white spruce, but also on balsam fir and yellow birch.
Redpolls, crossbills and siskins were all seen coming to sanded roadways for
grit.
Both goldfinches and siskins were widely reported at feeders, but there
were no reports of redpolls of crossbills visiting feeders.
White-winged crossbills were vocal early in the day, but became very quiet
after mid-morning as they fed deep inside the tops of white spruce. Sometimes
they did respond to pishing. They were most abundant in areas of mature white
spruce and balsam fir with scattered yellow birch. There were many
brightly-coloured males in most flocks. The number of this species actually
present in the count circle was, undoubtedly, many times greater than what was
observed.
One good area to find this habitat is along the Scotch Lines west of the
Bobcageon Road which is the extension of the main street in Minden. Drive
north across the bridge for about two kilometres and turn left on the Scotch
Line. Other places are along the main road between Kinmount and Irondale.
Minden is in Haliburton County about 80 kilometres north of Lindsay on Highway
#35.
Dennis Barry, Compiler
Thickson's Point, Whitby,
Ontario 905-725-2116
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