Hi everyone, The 65th Sault Ste. Marie Christmas Bird Count, which includes both the Ontario and Michigan cities, was held today. The temperatures were relatively warm, but falling snow early in the morning made for little bird activity. Despite almost everyone noting the general lack of birds when they submitted their data, at least 60 species were recorded, plus three hybrids, making it a very typical count in regards to the number of species.
The highlights include: Barrow's Goldeneye - first record for the count Common Goldeneye x Hooded Merganser hybrid - first record Red-winged Blackbird - second record Herring x Glaucous Gull hybrid - second record Hermit Thrush (3) - second record Ruddy Duck (2) - third record Brown Thrasher - third record Harlequin Duck (2) - fifteenth record Over 1300 Bohemian Waxwings were recorded and we set new highs for Northern Cardinal and Red-bellied Woodpecker. The Glaucous-winged Gull, which was found yesterday by Kirk Zufelt, was not seen at all today, so sadly it looks like it'll end up being only a count week species in the dataset. Thanks to everyone who participated! Carter Dorscht SSM CBC Compiler -- Ontbirds and Birdnews are moderated email Listservs provided by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) as a service to all birders in Ontario. Birdnews is reserved for announcements, location summaries, first of year reports, etc. To post a message on Birdnews, send an email to: [email protected]. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Birdnews Moderators by email at [email protected]. Please review posting rules and guidelines at http://ofo.ca/site/content/listserv-guidelines To edit your membership settings visit the Birdnews setup page at: http://ontbirds.ca/mailman/listinfo/birdnews_ontbirds.ca. During the COVID-19 pandemic, all Ontario birders should be taking extra precautions and following local, provincial, and federal regulations regarding physical distancing and non-essential travel. To find out more about OFO, please visit our website at ofo.ca or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists.
