The 116th London Christmas Bird Count occurred on Saturday December 20. With over 50 parties and multiple feeders it takes a while to get all the results organized and compiled. It was a windy and cold day, and the crunchy snow and ice hampered field teams as they trudged along. Preliminary results indicate that in our Count Circle, fewer species and numbers were recorded; Species 77 and total less than 18 000, both lower than average numbers. Birds were well-scattered in groups so that some reported higher numbers while others struggled to find the usual numbers. We had some good sightings though, including American Goshawk. (19th), Green-winged Teal (15th), Long-tailed Duck (6th), Bonaparte's Gull (7th), Red-shouldered Hawk (32nd), and a few unusual species such as Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumped Warbler, ox Sparrow, Sapsucker and Common Grackle. Numbers of Creepers, Robins, and Hermit Thrush were up, whereas waterfowl numbers and a number of passerine were found in lower numbers. Winter finches were in short supply with only one redpoll, a few purple finches, and a small flock of siskins. More results to come when all have submitted their results. Thanks again to the over 130 participants who contributed to our Count.
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