The Timmins Christmas Bird Count took place on Saturday, December 23rd, 2023. This was the 30th CBC for Timmins (started in 1988 but a few years were skipped)
A total of 32 dedicated participants took part in the count (21 field participants and 11 feeder watchers). This was the highest number of participants (prev. high was 26 participants in 2020) Weather: An uncharacteristically warm day for late December in Timmins; the temperature was -2°C in the morning and increased to +1°C in the afternoon, with calm south winds of 9km/h. It was overcast all day with no precipitation, and the snow cover was minimal (1 to 3 inches at most) Species: A total of 23 species were found on count day. (Slightly above the 30yr average of 20 species, but below the high of 30 species found in 2019). One new species was added (Fox Sparrow), bringing the cumulative species total to 57. More participants resulted in more coverage; a total of 1525 individuals were recorded (over the avg of 775, and the prev. high of 1362 in 2019) Unusual species: White-throated Sparrow (5th record) and Fox Sparrow (1st record). High counts: *American Three-toed Woodpecker 2 (prev. high count: 1; it was the 6th count with this species), *Rock Pigeon 299 (prev. high count: 135), *Pileated Woodpecker 9 (prev. high count: 6) *House Sparrow 175 (prev. high count 46). Low Count: *Red-breasted Nuthatch sightings continue to be low in Timmins, with only 3 found this count day, and only 2 in 2022. (below the avg. of 6). Notable misses: Northern Shrike, Bohemian Waxwing, Snow Bunting, White-winged Crossbill, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, Boreal Chickadee (count week only) were all missing from this year's count day. No owl species were found; however, no nocturnal efforts were conducted. Winter Finches: Regular numbers recorded on count day for Pine Grosbeak 47 (avg. 57) and Evening Grosbeak 77 (avg. 65). Common Redpolls: 198 recorded (over the avg. of 71, but below the 2014 high count of 220). Note that flock sizes recorded for Common Redpolls varied roughly between 5 and 30 individuals and were divided between field observations (flying/feeding on birch and alder) and feeder visits. Absent from the count: Red Crossbill, White-winged Crossbill, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch. A special thanks to all the dedicated Timmins CBC volunteers and to Mark Joron for his wonderful work as the previous compiler, Wishing a wonderful 2024 to everyone, Feel free to contact me directly for questions, Roxane Filion South Porcupine -- 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.
