2023 Christmas Bird Count Results

This year was a really warm CBC with a high of 10 degrees Celsius, we started the day with rain but it proceeded to get drier as the day progressed. All the water in our area was open, yet that did not help with getting more waterfowl.

This year ‘s total of 71 species and 4 count week birds gave us a total of 75 species and total number of 18,003 birds. Since 1950 we have counted 1.25 million birds with an average of 15,423 and this year, we were right on with the average of 71 species. Over the years we have seen a total of 158 species during our CBC.

Click here for a complete list of this years birds.

For comparison last year we had 82 species and 14,525 birds. Last year our 4 Red-shouldered Hawk and 2157 Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) were Canadian high counts for the year and we tied with other areas with 2 Long-eared Owls.

A new species was reported by Al and Eva Hurst and Eva and Laurel Visscher, both groups got a Common Raven this year. Apparently Common Ravens were reported nesting in every county in Ontario this year.
Al and Eva Hurst had over 1000 Tundra Swans, a new high count for our club, the warmer climate is keeping them further north. Al and Eva got another high count with 8 Ruddy Duck. This was the first year of our count where we didn’t get an American Black Duck after reporting them for 73 years.

We reached a new high with 4 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, 9 Winter Wren and 62 Carolina Wren.

George Prieksaitis got our lone Short-eared Owl and 2 Rusty Blackbirds. Eva and Laurel Visscher managed to find a Northern Shrike, a nice bird for our CBC. Candy McManiman got our lone Gray Catbird (first reported in 5 years) and 2 Swamp Sparrows on the same bulrush. Bob Johnstone’s group was the only one to get 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglets (last reported in 2016) and 25 Cedar Waxwings.

With this warm green count we had only 3 Horned Lark seen by Ron Kingswood and Ed Pietrzak, they also ventured out in the rain to get 3 of our Eastern Screech-Owl and 2 Great Horned Owls in the damp night.

Trish Snider got a real good bird, Cape May Warbler at the corner of Centennial Ave and Roberts Line on count week. Karen Auckland got our lone Hermit Thrush at Lake Margaret on count week and Sally Martyn got our lone Purple Finch on her property also on count week. Jackie and Al Sharpe found the Black-billed Magpie that had been seen during the fall on Fingal Line, we found it south on Lyle Rd near the abandoned CSX tracks during count week.