Hello Ontbirders, The 83rd Toronto Christmas Bird Count was held on Sunday December 23, 2007. The weather was, in a word, wet. For most of the count circle, rain began around 8 a.m. and remained steady (heavy at times) until around 4 p.m., effectively soaking most of our daylight hours, and in some cases even limiting access due to flooding rivers. Despite this, we managed 83 species, close to the average of 87 we have had over the past decade. However, numbers were down for most species, with a total of just 33,562 individuals, the fewest since 1995, and about 40% below average for the last decade. To a large extent, this drop was due to much lower numbers of what are normally our most common species.
Preliminary results of the count are summarized below; once count week is over and we have been able to confirm all data, the final results will be posted on the Toronto Ornithological Club website, at http://www.torontobirding.ca/projects/cbc.php HIGHLIGHTS (subject to review by the Toronto Bird Rarities Committee): Brewer's Blackbird (only recorded once previously in 1986, at a feeder in Pine Hills Cemetery) Black Scoter (first record since 1991, Portlands area) Horned Lark (first record since 1997 and highest total since 1980; 2 on Leslie Spit and 9 in Thornhill) TOP 5 SPECIES: (number/rank in 2006) European Starling - 10,496 (21,469 / 1) Rock Pigeon - 4,135 (3,358 / 4) Long-tailed Duck - 2,671 (7,180 / 2) Mallard - 2,302 (1,888 / 7) Greater Scaup - 1,944 (1,033 / 9) RECORD HIGHS: A short list this year - just five species including ties! Trumpeter Swan - 6 (previous high 4 in 2003) Mute Swan - 220 (previous high 191 in 2005) Merlin - 3 (ties previous high from 2005) Rock Pigeon - 4,135 (previous high 3,521 in 2002) Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3 (ties high set in 1993, 1995, 2004, and 2006) Also worthy of mention: Wood Duck - 4 (highest count since 1994) Common Merganser - 342 (4th highest count ever; most since 1998) UNUSUAL LOWS: very many, but the following were particularly extreme Canada Goose (831; fewest since 1985; mean for past ten years 3,472) Long-tailed Duck (2,671; fewest since 1993; ten-year mean 8,434) American Kestrel (5; fewest since 1947; ten-year mean 16) Ring-billed Gull (1,355; fewest since 1985; ten-year mean 5,251) Great Black-backed Gull (15; second fewest since 1975; ten-year mean 70) Downy Woodpecker (75; fewest since 1983; ten-year mean 157) Pileated Woodpecker (0; first miss since 1996; ten-year mean 5) Song Sparrow (13; fewest since 1947; ten-year mean 38) American Goldfinch (201; fewest since 1995; ten-year mean 521) House Finch (78; fewest since 1985; ten-year mean 492) Note - House Finch was first recorded on the 1981 count, and the population did not explode noticeably until 1988; although today's count was probably influenced by weather to some extent, it does seem to reflect a true decline in the local population this year Also of note: American Crow, with 52, remains well within the range of 26 to 74 we have recorded in the post West Nile Virus era, far below the ten-year MEAN (not total) of 879 prior to that. WINTER FINCHES (et al): Disappointing, considering reports across southern Ontario this fall. Pine Siskins (3; well below ten-year mean of 18) Common Redpoll (22; well below ten-year mean of 51) Hoary Redpoll (1; first since 1997) Crossbills, Grosbeaks, Bohemian Waxwings, "northern" owls - none MISSED SPECIES / COUNT WEEK CANDIDATES? Species that have been recorded on at least 5 of the past 10 Toronto counts, but were missed today: Double-crested Cormorant, Northern Pintail, Canvasback, Harlequin Duck, Bald Eagle (recorded for count week yesterday), Northern Goshawk, Thayer's Gull, Snowy Owl, Short-eared Owl, Pileated Woodpecker, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Field Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird [interestingly, we DID get Rusty Blackbird on count day!] Count week reports of any of the above species (or any other rarities) between Dec 20 and 26 (inclusive) are most welcome - please e-mail me privately ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) if you have any such sightings. Note that unfortunately Colonel Sam Smith Park is NOT within the Toronto count circle - if in doubt about other areas, please don't hesitate to ask. Thanks as always to all who participated, especially for persevering through such unpleasant weather this year. Happy holidays and good birding! Marcel Gahbauer Toronto / Calgary [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
