The Orillia CBC was held yesterday with nine teams out in the count area recording 50 species of birds. Ice moved in during the night of December 19th so all the bays on north Lake Simcoe were frozen over by count morning leaving only a few small patches of open water at the Narrows and Mill Creek by the Sewage Treatment Plant. I observed the Northern Hawk Owl again yesterday along Monck Road just west of sideroad 20 high in a grove of trees just north of Monck Road. It has been at this location for the last 10 days but was just outside the count circle so not counted. The same was true for several Snowy Owls in the area so this species was not recorded on the count either but is present in good numbers in the area. There was 1 Great Blue Heron and 2 Bald Eagles still remaining in the count circle. The sight that impressed me most for the day was observing a flock of 48 Trumpeter Swans on a small patch of open water at the Orillia Narrows. This species is building in numbers fast and in a few years we may not be as excited about observing this very agressive nesting species. The six Glaucous Gulls and two Iceland Gulls at the Orillia Landfill were also interesting. Two Great Gray Owls were reported for the count as well as flocks of Bohemian Waxwings and White-winged Crossbills. No Redpolls reported and as expected no Pine Grosbeaks. Maybe the most interesting sight was a Striped Skunk walking up James Street in Orillia at 7:00 p.m. last night in minus 20 degrees temperture. The Carden Alvar CBC is next Saturday. If anyone is interested in joining this count please contact me. Bob Bowles, Orillia, Ontario _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
