Birders spy 1,241 birds, 30 bird species
As expected through a blizzard of snow, the 2007 Gravenhurst-Bracebridge Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 16 showed fewer bird counts and bird species than reported from the 2006 count.
Compiler Al Sinclair said a total of 1,241 birds of 30 species were observed, well below the last decade’s average of 2,710 birds and 35 species.
In 2006, birders found a total of 38 bird species and counted a total of 2,570 birds during likely the mildest day for the bird count in local history.
“We started the day (for the 2007 count) with a winter storm warning in effect and predictions that it could be the worst storm in 60 years,” Sinclair said in his annual bird count report. “It wasn’t quite that bad but we had more than 20 centimetres of snowfall during the count.”
According to Bird Studies Canada’s website, the Christmas Bird Count is conducted in over 2,000 locations across Canada, the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. The bird observations, collected during one-day field counts within defined circular areas, have been amassed into a huge database that reflects the distribution and numbers of winter birds over time.
Twenty-two people in seven groups participated in the 28th Christmas Bird Count in south Muskoka to count the variety of birds spotted in a 24-kilometre diameter circle centred between the two towns.
“All lakes and rivers were frozen except for the centre of Lake Muskoka that we really couldn’t see because visibility was only about half a kilometre due to heavy snow,” Sinclair explained. “The birds were mostly gathered at feeders and very few birds were observed flying in the rural areas.”
Sinclair said as the day and the incessant snowfall continued, many of the back roads were not passable because of snow accumulation.
Since the lakes and rivers were frozen, counters spied no ducks or gulls, Sinclair added.
“The snow was deep, up to 60 centimetres in most areas, leaving few weed seeds visible, so only one snow bunting and two tree sparrows were found,” he said. “This year the seed crop in the boreal forest was poor so some species that normally stay farther north were moving south through Muskoka and visiting feeders and trees with fruit, mostly crabapples.”
“Pine grosbeaks and common redpolls were widespread, two species that we often don’t see for several years,” Sinclair reported. “Other finch species were absent or in very low numbers.”
In Bracebridge, one boreal chickadee, one ruffed grouse, one white-throated sparrow and one Cooper’s hawk were observed at feeders.
Three hoary redpolls were found in flocks of common redpolls in Gravenhurst, and 15 northern cardinals were found this year, which Sinclair said is a new count high.
The usual feeder birds, including black-capped chickadee, hairy and downy woodpeckers, nuthatches and blue jays were in normal numbers. The four species with the highest counts were the black-capped chickadee (315), common redpoll (201), blue jay (115) and mourning dove (118).
Eighty-one European starlings and 49 rock pigeons were lower numbers than normal, Sinclair added.