The tenth annual Neyaashiinigmiing (Cape Croker) Christmas Bird Count was held on Saturday, December 19, on the spectacular eastern coast of the Saugeen (Bruce) Peninsula. It was a cloudy day with southerly 18-24 kph winds. Snow started to fall around 11:00 a.m., but amounted to only a few cm. Temperatures ranged from about -5°C during pre-dawn owling to 0°C in the afternoon. The waters of Georgian Bay and streams were open, but non-flowing inland waters were partly to fully ice-covered, with 5-10 cm layer of snow on the ground.
Fifteen socially-distanced participants tallied a total of 39 species, very close to the average of 39.8. The 1159 individual birds was slightly above the average of 1027. Highlights included the count’s first-ever Winter Wren and Hoary Redpoll, as well as Northern Goshawk (4th count) and Common Grackle (4th count). High totals were tallied for seven species: Ring-billed Gull (9, previous high 7, average 2), Red-tailed Hawk (4, previous high 1), Rough-legged Hawk (4, previous high 1), Hairy Woodpecker (9, tied previous high) and Common Raven (39, previous high 36). Low counts were recorded for Long-tailed Duck (2, average 14) and Horned Grebe (1, average 8 -- after an amazing 47 individuals in 2019). Other notable misses were Common Merganser (missed on 2 previous counts) and Red-bellied Woodpecker (annual until 2017, now missed 3 years in a row). Chi Miigwetch to Neyaashiinigmiing (Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation) community for hosting this always special birding event. Jarmo Jalava and Miptoon (Anthony Chegahno), co-compilers -- 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.
