Preliminary Minden CBC results....

EE
ed.barb ed.barb
Tue, Dec 21, 2021 5:02 PM

Hi everyone,
The 55th annual Minden Christmas Bird Count was held on Saturday,
December 18th.  The weather was cooperative in the first few hours, with
light winds, overcast skies, and relatively mild temperatures (-4°C to
-1°C).  Due to the warm spell in the previous weeks, many of the large
lakes were wide open and ice-free.  By 10:30am, however, the snow
arrived, falling heavily at times. This hampered visibility in the
latter part of the day and made driving more challenging. Despite this,
a total of 32 field observers participated (a record number), as well as
15 feeder watchers (likely more with data still trickling in).

At this point, the total number of birds counted (4238) coincides almost
exactly with the 20-year average of 4282. A total of 51 species have
been recorded so far, plus another 3 count week birds, well above the
average of 45.  As predicted, the diversity was relatively high with
several winter finches well represented.

There were several highlights on the count including:  5 Red-breasted
Mergansers, 1 male Black-backed Woodpecker, 1 Canada Jay, 2 Red-bellied
Woodpeckers, 2 Cedar Waxwings among a flock of Bohemians, 2
White-throated Sparrows, and a 1 Northern Cardinal.  The bird of the day
was undoubtedly the Eastern Screech Owl discovered by one team in the
early morning hours, a new species for the count circle. This brings the
species total to 109, with 3 additional count week birds. An American
Kestrel observed the day before the count would have also been new but
could not be located on count day in the heavy snow.

The following species either tied or surpassed previous record highs
(previous record in brackets):
Bufflehead  - 6 (6)
Ring-billed Gull – 16 (5)

Notable misses:
House Sparrow

Winter finches:
Pine Grosbeak (CW only, a few small flocks moving around the circle),
Evening Grosbeak (18),
Red Crossbill (1, other small flocks reported during CW),
White-winged Crossbill (77),
Purple Finch (6),
Common Redpoll (867)
Pine Siskin (47)
American Goldfinch (354)

A huge thanks to all the participants, especially those braving the
nasty weather.

Cheers!

Ed Poropat

Hi everyone, The 55th annual Minden Christmas Bird Count was held on Saturday, December 18th. The weather was cooperative in the first few hours, with light winds, overcast skies, and relatively mild temperatures (-4°C to -1°C). Due to the warm spell in the previous weeks, many of the large lakes were wide open and ice-free. By 10:30am, however, the snow arrived, falling heavily at times. This hampered visibility in the latter part of the day and made driving more challenging. Despite this, a total of 32 field observers participated (a record number), as well as 15 feeder watchers (likely more with data still trickling in). At this point, the total number of birds counted (4238) coincides almost exactly with the 20-year average of 4282. A total of 51 species have been recorded so far, plus another 3 count week birds, well above the average of 45. As predicted, the diversity was relatively high with several winter finches well represented. There were several highlights on the count including: 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, 1 male Black-backed Woodpecker, 1 Canada Jay, 2 Red-bellied Woodpeckers, 2 Cedar Waxwings among a flock of Bohemians, 2 White-throated Sparrows, and a 1 Northern Cardinal. The bird of the day was undoubtedly the Eastern Screech Owl discovered by one team in the early morning hours, a new species for the count circle. This brings the species total to 109, with 3 additional count week birds. An American Kestrel observed the day before the count would have also been new but could not be located on count day in the heavy snow. The following species either tied or surpassed previous record highs (previous record in brackets): Bufflehead - 6 (6) Ring-billed Gull – 16 (5) Notable misses: House Sparrow Winter finches: Pine Grosbeak (CW only, a few small flocks moving around the circle), Evening Grosbeak (18), Red Crossbill (1, other small flocks reported during CW), White-winged Crossbill (77), Purple Finch (6), Common Redpoll (867) Pine Siskin (47) American Goldfinch (354) A huge thanks to all the participants, especially those braving the nasty weather. Cheers! Ed Poropat