The 2014 Port Hope-Cobourg Christmas Bird Count was held on Saturday, December 20. Forty-seven observers counted 19,581 birds of 77 species. Weather on count day was ideal, with bright sunny skies and light winds.
Ten species tied or exceeded their previous high counts: Red-throated Loon - 1 Trumpeter Swan - 2 Northern Pintail - 6 Bald Eagle - 5 Red-tailed Hawk - 74 Snowy Owl - 4 Common Raven - 10 Carolina Wren - 2 Winter Wren - 2 American Goldfinch - 1,005 Three species were found in record low numbers: American Black Duck - 28 American Crow - 650 European Starling - 1,018 Other highlights included: Thayer's Gull - 1 Shore-eared Owl - 1 Hermit Thrush - 1 Northern Mockingbird - 1 American Pipit - 1 Savannah Sparrow - 2 Other than Common Redpolls, winter finches were scarce. Pine Grosbeak - 1 Purple Finch - 4 Common Redpoll - 518 Pine Siskin - 60 Evening Grosbeak - 1 Two other species were recorded on count week only. These were Oregon Junco and Brown-headed Cowbird. Roger Frost Compiler _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
