Pakenham-Arnprior CBC December 26 Historical Note: The first Arnprior CBC was held in 1913 by Charles Macnamara, which makes this the centennial year for CBCs in the Arnprior region (this count ran until the mid 1930s). The Pakenham CBC was initiated in 1925 by Edna Ross and ran under that name until 1969; in 1970 the count circle was shifted very slightly and the count name was changed to the current Pakenham-Arnprior CBC to recognize the two historic counts that its area currently incorporates. Despite popular rumours, I did not take part in the first Arnprior CBC but this was my 47th consecutive Pakenham/ Pakenham- Arnprior CBC.
Unlike the situation for many counts held in southern Ontario this season, good weather prevailed. Wind was light (13 km northeast maximum) and temperatures were relatively mild (-16 to 9 deg C). Light overcast conditions all day with intermittent extremely light snow for the most part did not reduce visibility. All still water was frozen and even the mighty Madawaska River remained completely frozen (Hydro dam gates did not open that day). Thus, open water for waterfowl was at a minimum and no gulls were seen. Deep snow combined with a crust insufficiently hard to support a person reduced the amount of coverage in wooded areas. These conditions were factors in the total count of 48 species, our lowest in many years. However, the total species count will rise to 49 if a report of 30+ Pine Siskins submitted by a feeder watcher is confirmed. Interestingly, a flock of 30+ Pine Siskins turned up at the feeders of an excellent birder the day after the count, adding more credence to the report of count day. Apart from American Goldfinch and a few House Finches and Purple Finches (and those possible Pine Siskins), finches were noticeably (but not surprisingly) absent: there were no crossbills, redpolls, or Evening Grosbeaks. With a record number of highly skilled observers in the field, excellent coniferous habitat, and near-perfect hearing conditions, the paucity of finches could not have come in a worse year! Additionally there were no blackbirds on the count, a reflection of the severely cold temperatures that have dominated the early part of this winter. Significant birds/numbers were: Varied Thrush 1 (2nd record, ties record high) Snowy Owl 15 (new record high) Barred Owl 8 (new record high) Eastern Screech-Owl - 2 (new record high) Dark-eyed Junco 350 (new record high) Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 (6th count, ties record high) Belted Kingfisher 2 (10th count, ties record high) Also of note: American Robin 42 (not a record but still a very high count due to the abundance of wild fruit this year) House Sparrow 127 (very low count, their decline continues. I did not see even a single House Sparrow, making this the first time that I missed this species on this count). Count week birds (with one more day to go): Horned Lark, Yellow-rumped Warbler Happy Birding! Michael Runtz _______________________________________________ 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
