The Forêt Larose Christmas Bird Count (ONFL CBC) is centred near the towns of Casselman, St Isidore, and Bourget, in eastern Ontario. It includes a large portion of the Forêt Larose, a major landfill facility that attracts gulls and raptors, and vast agricultural fields frequented by Snowy Owls. This year, the count’s 20th January edition was held on January 5.
On Count Day (CD), 21 field observers, divided into 12 teams, were greeted by frigid temperatures hovering near -20 °C. The Environment Canada St. Albert Weather Station recorded temperatures between -26.5 °C and -12 °C, winds increasing from 10 km/h in the morning to 20 km/h in the afternoon, and 8 cm of snow beginning at 2:00 p.m. Additionally, 5 feeder watchers contributed their observations, bringing the total number of CD participants to 26 (avg., 24). Total CD effort hours were below average (69.2 vs. 76.5) due to mid-afternoon squalls that shortened the day for most. Regionally, it was the second-coldest December in 20 years, with a mean temperature of -9.6 °C. Such harsh, pre-count conditions accounted for the relatively low CD tally of 6209 birds (avg. 7025). However, these conditions introduced a few northern specialties and confined many birds to feeders, resulting in 51 CD species (avg. 45), the second-highest total on record, behind the 59 CD species found in 2016! This is the more remarkable as both still and moving water were frozen. Merlin was the only additional Count Week (CW) species. The ONFL CBC cumulative CD species total remained at 87. ONFL CBC CD highlights included the following second or third records: 3 Black-backed Woodpeckers in the Forêt Larose (previously 1, in 2008), 2 Red-bellied Woodpeckers near Casselman (1, 2023), 1 Eastern Screech-Owl mobbed by jays and chickadees in a conifer grove (1, 2008), 1 Short-eared Owl overwintering with another at a solar panel farm (1, 2020), and 12 Cedar Waxwings (8, 2014 and 1, 2024). Different feeders hosted 1 Brown Thrasher (1, 2011), 1 Chipping Sparrow (1, 2019), and 1 White-crowned Sparrow (1, 2015 and 1, 2019). Additionally, new high counts were set for Barred Owl (3, previously 2, in 2014 and 2017), Brown Creeper (10, previously 7, 2024), Pine Grosbeak (75, previously 41, 2019), and Northern Cardinal (52, previously 46, 2023). ONFL CBC CD lowlights include no Mallard or other waterfowl (except for 3 Canada Geese overwintering at a fowl hobbyist’s pond), no icterids, and low numbers of gulls (although Glaucous and Iceland Gulls provided good looks at the GFL Environmental Moose Creek Landfill facility). Only 1 Snowy Owl was found due to deteriorating CD conditions (at least 4 were present during CW). Reflective of their local decline, 1 Ruffed Grouse and no Goshawk or Sharp-shinned Hawk were found in the Forêt Larose, and only 36 House Sparrows (avg. 186) and 8 House Finches (avg. 18) were counted. An early ONFL CBC specialty, Gray Partridge, has likely been extirpated from the circle, having been missed 8 times out of the last 9 years. Notable CD misses were Golden-crowned Kinglet (5th time) and Merlin (6th time). In closing, I would like to express my gratitude to the talented group of birders who made this year’s ONFL CBC a success, to Greg van Loenen, our patient “Gull Tour” operator at GFL Environmental Moose Creek Landfill, and, for her support, to Christine Trudeau, who entrusted me with the coordination of this count after she had managed it since 2011. Giovanni Pari ONFL CBC Coordinator -- 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 find out more about OFO, please visit our website at ofo.ca or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists.
