In the spirit of better late than never, and a reminder of the winter that now seems safely behind us, follows is a report on the 4th ever Winchester Winter Bird Count. The count this year was held on Feb 18, coinciding with the Great Backyard Bird Count, under ideal conditions, with temperatures soaring to a blistering 6C and little wind, the birder's bane in these normally wind swept plains. These conditions, along with a full complement of 16 observers making up 8 parties, contributed to a record shattering 44 species, demonstrating that there are indeed birds in them there fields. The commonest bird by far was Snow Bunting, at a staggering 2,585; among them, only 5 Lapland Longspurs, but complemented by a high count of 288 Horned Lark. Raptors figured prominently in the listings, led by an impressive 22 Snowy Owls, with at least one seen by every party, cementing the Winchester area as a winter stronghold for this species. Other owls included the count's first Eastern Screech, Barred and Long-eared Owls, the latter calling at dawn, with a repeat performance in the evening. Rough-legged (9) and Red-tailed (19) were also high counts; Rough-legged was scarce earlier in the winter so some of these may have been birds drifting north; many of the Red-tails were paired off and all those identified sub-specifically were of the local breeding subspecies. The big surprise were "cone predators", with high counts of Red-breasted Nuthatch (27) and White-winged Crossbill (14). Remember, this is not Algonquin! Most of these birds with in Morewood Bog, a site largely unknown to birders before being "discovered" on our first outing; while not extensive it has a Black Spruce bog at its core. As elsewhere in eastern Ontario, the crossbills were exhibiting breeding behaviour, paired up, singing, and courtship behaviour observed. The Winchester dump, usually a highlight (only a birder could say that) disappointed, holding a paltry ten Herring Gulls. Ducks, not normally a feature on a count that features almost no open water, produced a surprising, and no doubt, surprised, Common Merganser. Sparrows have emerged as an interesting features of the count. In addition to being a local strong hold for House Sparrows, interesting overwintering birds turn up, this year's crop yielded a locally rare in winter White-crowned Sparrow and a Junco displaying cismontana features. My thanks to all those who participated and especially Aaron H for artistic design (poster available for sale!), and apologies for the late report. Please PM me if details are required. _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - 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 Visit the OFO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists
