The 102nd Ottawa-Gatineau CBC was held December 20. Temperatures ranged from -4 to 0 degrees, with persistent snow and then drizzle over much of the count circle.
174 field observers plus feeder watchers found 76 species. Highlights included one each of Field Sparrow, Cackling Goose, Double-crested Cormorant, and Short-eared Owl; a record 4 Red-bellied Woodpeckers; and 10 Hoary Redpolls, including one hornemanni. Record highs were set for Wood Duck (11), Wild Turkey (274), White-breasted Nuthatch (632), and Northern Cardinal (741); and 8 Barred Owl tied a record high. Common Raven (164) and Bohemian Waxwing (5,736) also stand to be record highs but there are still some potential overlap issues to be addressed. American Crow was easily the most abundant species (at least 20,000) but our final number has yet to be established. Good numbers were recorded for Red-breasted Nuthatch (165), Hermit Thrush (5), Cedar Waxwing (223), and Common Redpoll (1,966). Other winter finches recorded included Evening Grosbeak (106), Pine Grosbeak (115), White-winged Crossbill (40), and Pine Siskin (28). The Ottawa-Gatineau Christmas Bird Count is a joint effort of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club (OFNC) and the Club des ornithologues de l’Outaouais (COO). My thanks to the participants, the sector leaders, and especially my co-compiler, Daniel Toussaint of the COO. Bernie Ladouceur -- 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.
