The Christmas Bird Count is North America's oldest standardized census providing valuable information on the early winter distribution and abundance of birds. It is also a vital outreach and birder/naturalist recruitment tool, and has become a proud holiday tradition for many. For more information visit https://www.birdscanada.org/volunteer/cbc/.<https://www.birdscanada.org/volunteer/cbc/> The 69th Long Point Christmas Bird Count took place on 15 December. The count covers a ~24km circle centred on the lighthouse south of St. Williams, ON. Fifty-six birders counted 32,230 birds of 119 species. This is slightly above the long-term average of 28,201 of 103 species, but below the recent decade average of 47,518 owing to an early freeze up of the Inner Bay which caused some waterfowl to disperse. The average number of birds counted at Long Point has grown consistently over the decades from 10,375 in the 1960's to 47,518 in 2010-2019. Since the count began in 1961, volunteers have contributed more than 8,000 hours counting more than 1.5 million birds of 226 species. Generally mild conditions leading up to the count kept Long Point's Inner Bay, Big Creek, and most waterways free of ice. Count Day was overcast with temperature ranging from 3 to 6 C, and chilly north-east winds averaged about 30 km/h gusting to 60 km/h later in the afternoon which made for challenging conditions in some areas. The general sentiment among teams was that it was slow bird wise as evident by lower numbers of most bread-and-butter winter songbirds (see below), but almost every team had higher than average diversity and a few interesting observations. The coveted Bird of the Day prize was given to Brett Fried for discovering a Western Kingbird (new for the count) at Turkey Point. Western Kingbird was new for the Long Point count this year, the 9th for Canadian CBC's, and the first for Ontario. The runners-up were Ross and Graham Wood for discovering a Northern Waterthrush in Port Rowan. To learn more about birding at Long Point, explore the Long Point Birding Trail<https://www.birdscanada.org/longpoint/index.jsp?targetpg=lpbobirding>.
Observers: David Agro, Geoff Atkins, Yousif Attia, Gregor Beck, Kathryn Boothby, Michael Bradstreet, John Brett, Kyle Cameron, Steve Camp, John Carson, Andrew Couturier, Darleen Degrieck, Brandon Edwards, Mary Gartshore, Paul Gent, Ted Gent, Peter Carson, Barb Charlton, Janice Chard, Brett Fried, Christian Friis, Joseph Gabriel, Jennifer Gedye, Eric Giles, Audrey Heagy, Erika Henstch, Barry Jones, Kevin Kavanagh, Bill Lamond, Sarah Lamond, James Lees, Denis Lepage, John Lounds, Stu Mackenzie, Dex Martin, Kevin McLaughlin, Fergus Nicoll, David Okines, Becky Pearce, George Pond, Lynn Post, Nicole Richardson, Ron Ridout, Ed Ruttle, Diane Salter, Bob Stamp, Terry Tait, Adam Timpf, Matt Timpf, Doug Tozer, Graham, Ross Wood. Highlights: Red-necked Grebe - The thirteenth of the Long Point CBC and the first since 2011. Red-throated Loon - Third for the count and the first since 1994. Red-shouldered Hawk - One wintering bird in the Big Creek Valley. Snowy Owl - One at Turkey Point. Northern Saw-whet Owl - One found near St. Williams Forest. Red-bellied Woodpecker - Highest ever count of 83. Pileated Woodpecker - Highest ever count of 19. Woodpeckers - High numbers, but not records, for all species, possibly a consequence of Emerald Ash Boer. Peregrine Falcon - One bird at Turkey Point marsh. Western Kingbird - First for the count, first for Ontario CBC's, and 9th for Canadian CBC's. See - https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S50701577 White-breasted Nuthatch - Second highest total of 167 since 173 were observed in 2001. Eastern Bluebird - New high count of 113. Vesper Sparrow - New count high with 5 observed near Walsingham. White-throated Sparrow - third highest total with 175 observed. Northern Waterthrush - 6th on the count and the first since 1990. See - https://ebird.org/canada/view/checklist/S50701120. Still present as of 23 December. Orange-crowned Warbler - First observed since 1994. Lowlights: Wild Turkey - Only 19 recorded which is the lowest Count since 2001. Horned Lark and Snow Buntings - Only one Snow Bunting, and 8 Horned Lark. Sparrows - Most typically abundant 'winter' sparrows were below their long-term average likely due to no snow cover. Expected winter finches were present, but not overly abundant. Additional count week species (December 12 to December 18): Oregon Junco - near Walsingham, ON. Golden Eagle - near Walsingham, ON. Common Raven - near Walsingham, ON. Notable Misses: Short-eared Owl Long-eared Owl Yellow-bellied Sapsucke Pied-billed Grebe Other Notable Species: Red Bat, Blue-spotted Salamander, Leopard Frog, Garter Snake (black). Total Species List: RED-THROATED LOON 1 COMMON LOON 3 PIED-BILLED GREBE 0 HORNED GREBE 9 RED-NECKED GREBE 1 EARED GREBE 0 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT 8 AMERICAN BITTERN 0 GREAT BLUE HERON 16 GREEN-BACKED HERON 0 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON 0 TRUMPETER SWAN 1 TUNDRA SWAN 3481 MUTE SWAN 52 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE 0 SNOW GOOSE 0 SNOW GOOSE Blue form 0 ROSS'S GOOSE 0 BRANT 0 CACKLING GOOSE 2 CANADA GOOSE 3526 WOOD DUCK 8 GREEN-WINGED TEAL 3 AMERICAN BLACK DUCK 154 MALLARD 632 NORTHERN PINTAIL 1 BLUE-WINGED TEAL 0 NORTHERN SHOVELER 0 GADWALL 12 AMERICAN WIGEON 186 CANVASBACK 5053 REDHEAD 6187 RING-NECKED DUCK 12 GREATER SCAUP 588 LESSER SCAUP 849 Scaup sp 0 LONG-TAILED DUCK 4 BLACK SCOTER 0 SURF SCOTER 0 WHITE-WINGED SCOTER 20 Scoter sp. 0 COMMON GOLDENEYE 550 BUFFLEHEAD 341 HOODED MERGANSER 24 COMMON MERGANSER 135 RED-BREASTED MERGANSER 167 Merganser sp. 0 RUDDY DUCK 217 Duck sp. 0 TURKEY VULTURE 1 BALD EAGLE 42 NORTHERN HARRIER 26 SHARP-SHINNED HAWK 5 COOPER'S HAWK 6 NORTHERN GOSHAWK 0 Accipiter sp. 0 RED-SHOULDERED HAWK 1 RED-TAILED HAWK 43 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK 4 Buteo sp. 0 GOLDEN EAGLE 0 AMERICAN KESTREL 2 MERLIN 1 PEREGRINE FALCON 1 GYRFALCON 0 GRAY PARTRIDGE 0 RING-NECKED PHEASANT 2 RUFFED GROUSE 5 WILD TURKEY 19 NORTHERN BOBWHITE 0 KING RAIL 0 VIRGINIA RAIL 0 SORA 0 COMMON MOORHEN 0 AMERICAN COOT 16 SANDHILL CRANE 1602 LESSER GOLDEN-PLOVER 0 KILLDEER 0 SPOTTED SANDPIPER 0 LESSER YELLOWLEGS 0 SANDERLING 0 LEAST SANDPIPER 0 BAIRD'S SANDPIPER 0 PURPLE SANDPIPER 0 DUNLIN 0 WILSON'S SNIPE 0 AMERICAN WOODCOCK 2 Jaeger sp. 0 LITTLE GULL 0 BONAPARTE'S GULL 152 RING-BILLED GULL 66 HERRING GULL 69 ICELAND GULL 1 THAYER'S GULL 0 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL 0 GLAUCOUS GULL 1 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL 8 BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE 0 CASPIAN TERN 0 COMMON TERN 0 ROCK PIGEON 33 MOURNING DOVE 316 EASTERN SCREECH-OWL 7 GREAT HORNED OWL 6 SNOWY OWL 1 BARRED OWL 2 LONG-EARED OWL 0 SHORT-EARED OWL 0 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL 1 Owl sp. 0 BELTED KINGFISHER 8 RED-HEADED WOODPECKER 0 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER 83 YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER 0 DOWNY WOODPECKER 153 HAIRY WOODPECKER 41 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER 0 NORTHERN FLICKER 50 PILEATED WOODPECKER 19 EASTERN PHOEBE 1 WESTERN KINGBIRD 1 HORNED LARK 8 BLUE JAY 340 AMERICAN CROW 938 BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE 593 BOREAL CHICKADEE 0 TUFTED TITMOUSE 4 RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH 32 WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH 167 BROWN CREEPER 53 CAROLINA WREN 25 HOUSE WREN 0 WINTER WREN 8 MARSH WREN 3 GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET 100 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET 6 BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER 0 EASTERN BLUEBIRD 113 TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE 0 SWAINSON'S THRUSH 0 HERMIT THRUSH 4 Thrush sp. 0 AMERICAN ROBIN 26 GRAY CATBIRD 1 NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD 1 BROWN THRASHER 0 AMERICAN PIPIT 0 BOHEMIAN WAXWING 0 CEDAR WAXWING 59 Waxwing sp. 0 NORTHERN SHRIKE 2 EUROPEAN STARLING 215 WHITE-EYED VIREO 0 SOLITARY VIREO 0 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER 1 NASHVILLE WARBLER 0 YELLOW WARBLER 0 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER 10 PINE WARBLER 0 PALM WARBLER 0 NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH 1 COMMON YELLOWTHROAT 3 YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT 0 Warbler sp. 0 NORTHERN CARDINAL 192 DICKCISSEL 0 SPOTTED TOWHEE 0 EASTERN TOWHEE 4 AMERICAN TREE SPARROW 717 CHIPPING SPARROW 3 FIELD SPARROW 5 VESPER SPARROW 5 SAVANNAH SPARROW 1 FOX SPARROW 3 SONG SPARROW 71 LINCOLN'S SPARROW 0 SWAMP SPARROW 111 WHITE-THROATED SPARROW 175 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW 9 HARRIS' SPARROW 0 Sparrow sp. 0 DARK-EYED JUNCO 439 DK-EYED oregon JUNCO 0 LAPLAND LONGSPUR 0 SMITH'S LONGSPUR 0 SNOW BUNTING 1 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD 964 EASTERN MEADOWLARK 0 Meadowlark sp. 0 YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD 0 RUSTY BLACKBIRD 79 BREWER'S BLACKBIRD 0 GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE 0 COMMON GRACKLE 36 BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD 405 BALTIMORE ORIOLE 0 Blackbird sp. 0 PINE GROSBEAK 0 PURPLE FINCH 24 HOUSE FINCH 191 Finch sp. 0 RED CROSSBILL 0 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL 0 Crossbill sp. 0 COMMON REDPOLL 56 HOARY REDPOLL 0 PINE SISKIN 171 AMERICAN GOLDFINCH 256 EVENING GROSBEAK 3 HOUSE SPARROW 556 COMMON RAVEN 0 SPECIES 119 INDIVIDUALS 32230 _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - the provincial birding organization. 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