Port Hope-Cobourg Christmas Bird Count 2020
The 50th Port Hope-Cobourg Christmas Bird Count was held on December 19, 2020. Thirty-three field observers and eleven feeder counters took part. In total, 19,711 birds of 81 species were counted. Six additional species were seen in count week. Weather on count day was good, with temperatures around freezing, complete overcast, and relatively light winds. American Woodcock was the only species added to the all time list. Five species were recorded in record high numbers: Red-bellied Woodpecker – 41 (previous high 38) Northern Flicker – 10 (previous high 9 Common Raven – 40 (previous high 22) Red-breasted Nuthatch – 95 (previous high 64) Carolina Wren – 3 (previous high 2) Only Bufflehead were found in record low numbers, with only 12 counted. Most winter finches were well represented. Pine Grosbeak – 7 Purple Finch – 41 Red Crossbill – 6 White-winged Crossbill – 180 Common Redpoll – 486 Pine Siskin – 130 American Goldfinch – 432 Surprisingly, Evening Grosbeaks were not encountered. They had been fairly common at feeders a few weeks before the count. Other highlights included: Greater White-fronted Goose – count week Snow Goose – 1 Northern Shoveler – 1 Black Scoter – 15 Turkey Vulture – count week Northern Goshawk – count week Peregrine Falcon – 1 “Thayer’s” Gull – 1 Snowy Owl – 1 Barred Owl – 3 Great Gray Owl – count week Northern Saw-whet Owl – 2 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 3 Winter Wren – 2 Eastern Bluebird – 43 Hermit Thrush – 2 Field Sparrow – 1 Harris’s Sparrow – 2 (adult and immature at the same feeder!) Roger Frost, 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.
