Reporting for Dennis Barry, Count Compiler: The 47th Minden Christmas Bird Count was held on Saturday, December 14. All still water was frozen and it was relatively cold (minus 26 to minus 15 C), but birding conditions were fairly good for the 20+ field observers.
Thirty-seven species were tallied, well below the average of 46 over the last ten years. There was a new species for the count: four Trumpeter Swans at Moore Falls. Noteworthy were: Red-breasted Merganser (4, including two adult males); Common Loon (1 in Gull River near the dam); Bald Eagle (11; ties highest count); Sharp-shinned Hawk (1); and Herring Gull (2; briefly at the Minden Dump). Despite a moderately good cone crop, finches were limited to Purple Finch (2) and American Goldfinch (194). Ron Tozer Dwight, ON _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
