Ontbirds subscribers, After three weeks of winter birding, the cumulative provincial list stands at an impressive 196, though there is still a ways to go to catch last winter's 223. The first weekend of Christmas Bird Counts added quite a few new species to the list, including some very rare winter birds. I have sent the list to Blake Maybank and he will post them on his web site soon. A link to the webpage: http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/maybank/other/onwinter.htm Since the last update, the following species were added to the winter list. The first date in the winter period in which the species was seen, if known, will be in brackets. House Wren (December 15), Least Sandpiper (December 14), Baird's Sandpiper (December 14), Pectoral Sandpiper (December 14), Wilson's Snipe (December 16), Ivory Gull (December 15), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (December 2), Fish Crow (December 16), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (December 16), Mountain Bluebird (December 15), Ovenbird (December 5), Blackpoll Warbler (December 16), Western Tanager (December 16), Scarlet Tanager (mid-December), Vesper Sparrow (December 17), Indigo Bunting (December 16), and Brewer's Blackbird (December 15). Some of the more likely species still to be added to the list include: Brant, Gray Partridge, Virginia Rail, California Gull, Slaty-backed Gull, Pomarine Jaeger, Boreal Owl, Barn Owl, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Blue-headed Vireo, and Gray Catbird. Send me an email if you know of any sightings of any missing species, or anything else that would be new to the list. Good winter birding,Josh ----------------------------------------------- Josh Vandermeulen Guelph, Ontario
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