The 83rd Blenheim CBC was held Sunday December 19. Weather for the day, was about as good as it could get, a somewhat brisk nw wind and near freezing temps. The sun decided it wanted to stay away for the most part, Blake’s weekend weather I guess:).
26 observers scoured the area and ended up coming up with an astonishing 124 species! This number is truly unbelievable but a perfect storm of events likely lead to it, perfect weather (decent day for migration) and many lingering birds. There were two new species for the count, the long staying Blue-grey Gnatcatcher and the Least Sandpiper that decided to reappear for the day on Sunday. There were many other notables, likely too many to post but here are a few. Greater White-fronted Goose (1), Dunlin (5), Golden Eagle (1), Northern Saw-whet Owl (1), Peregrine Falcon (1), House Wren (1), Nelson’s Sparrow (1), and Orange-crowned Warbler (1). New highs were attained for a few species as follows. Sandhill Crane (141), Red-throated Loon (304), Turkey Vulture (19), Bald Eagle (38), Merlin (4), and Carolina Wren (63), Count week species were not surprisingly limited to just two, Horned Grebe and Purple Sandpiper. Notable misses weren’t many but Gray Catbird, and Eastern Meadowlark come to mind. Many thanks to all the people who made this historic day possible. Would of been a great day for an in person compilation, however…. Good birding, Jim and Keith Burk -- Ontbirds and Birdnews are moderated email Listservs provided by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) as a service to all birders in Ontario. Birdnews is reserved for announcements, location summaries, first of year reports, etc. To post a message on Birdnews, send an email to: [email protected]. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Birdnews Moderators by email at [email protected]. Please review posting rules and guidelines at http://ofo.ca/site/content/listserv-guidelines During the COVID-19 pandemic, all Ontario birders should be taking extra precautions and following local, provincial, and federal regulations regarding physical distancing and non-essential travel. To find out more about OFO, please visit our website at ofo.ca or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists.
