The 3rd Christmas Bird Count at Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario, was held on January 2, 2021. Smooth Rock Falls is a small town located on highway 11, about 8 hours north of Toronto.
January 2 was relatively mild (-5 C) and calm. With 4 field parties and a record-setting 8 feeder stations, SRF was poised for a fantastic Christmas Bird Count, notwithstanding a discouraging lack of winter finches. Count day produced 19 species, with an additional 7 species added during count week. Notable highs were: Black-capped Chickadee (48), Hairy Woodpecker (8), and American Crow (7). Two Sharp-tailed Grouse that frequent birch trees in town were a much-celebrated addition to the count, although not particularly rare in this count circle. Lows included Pine Grosbeak (21 this year, 78 in 2019) and Evening Grosbeak (21 this year, 42 last year.) There were no Pine Siskins or crossbills seen this year. The most unusual sighting was a pair of American Robins which were not found on count day but were reported by several people during the three days before and after, and created quite a stir in the community. Thank you to all who participated by driving, walking, snowshoeing, and skiing, even though we were unable to offer a hot lunch and washrooms this year. Thank you also to the many folks who reported birds from your feeders or elsewhere in the count circle! Yours truly, Angie Williams, compiler for the Smooth Rock Falls Christmas Bird Count -- 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.
