After the first sixteen days of December the 2018-2019 Ontario winter bird list stands at 189 species, which is slightly above average for the date. As far as I can discern three species have been added to the all-time Ontario winter list so far, including the Great Kiskadee at Rondeau Provincial Park (last reported on Dec 9), a Western Kingbird found on the Long Point CBC on December 15, and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo that was discovered at Tommy Thompson Park in Toronto on December 15. If anyone knows of previous winter records for Yellow-billed Cuckoo, please let me know.
Other highlights so far include two Slaty-backed Gulls in Brantford as well as one in North Bay, a White-eyed Vireo at Rondeau Provincial Park, 13 species of warblers including a Hooded Warbler at Sedgewick Park in Oakville, a Summer Tanager at Sault Ste. Marie, and a Western Grebe in Sarnia. There are a number of species that are typically recorded in a given winter that are still missing from this winter's list. They include Eurasian Wigeon, Gray Partridge, Osprey, Virginia Rail, Purple Sandpiper, Black-legged Kittiwake, Great Gray Owl, Boreal Owl, Harris's Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark and Brewer's Blackbird. The list can be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/myyulvs . I have also provided a link on my blog, located at http://joshvandermeulen.blogspot.ca/p/ontario-winter-bird-list.html . I try to update the spreadsheet every couple of days or whenever I hear of a new addition. Please let me know if you hear of a new addition or any other correction to the spreadsheet. Good (winter) birding, Josh Vandermeulen _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca 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
