The Ottawa-Gatineau CBC was held Sunday, December 15. The count is a joint effort of the Ottawa Field Naturalists’ Club (OFNC) and the Club des ornithologies de l’Outaouais (COO). Temperatures ranged from -15 to -7 C, with only a few centimetres of snow on the ground; waterways were partly frozen.
Approximately 170 field observers and 26 feeder watchers found 77 species and 42,855 individuals. The most abundant bird was, again, American Crow. We produced a roost count of 25,000 birds, down several thousand from the previous year, but the effort was hampered by more birds than usual coming into the roost well after dusk.
Highlights included Northern Pintail, 2 Green-winged Teal, 5 Greater Scaup, Common Loon, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Northern Saw-whet Owl, an amazing 4 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, an equally amazing 7 Eastern Bluebirds, White-crowned Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, and Pine and Yellow-dumped Warblers.
There were record highs for Eastern Screech Owl (6), Common Raven (181), Winter Wren (3), Carolina wren (7), and White-throated Sparrow (62). 40 Hooded Margansers tied a record high. Red-winged Blackbird (3) and Common Grackle put in their first appearances in a while. Count week birds included Red-necked Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Snowy Owl, and Red-bellied Woodpecker.
Winter finches were near non-existent (10 Pine Siskin and 1 Evening Grosbeak); and numbers were low, too, for Bohemian Waxwing (6). Cedar Waxwing (13), and Purple Fich (18). On the other hand, birds such as Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush (6), Northern Flicker (3), and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, once very rare in the winter, are becoming regular winter birds for us. Dark-eyed Junco (950) and Northern Cardinal (790) were very close to record highs. Winter birding in Ottawa sure has changed!
Thanks to my co-compiler, Daniel Toussaint of the COO, the sector leaders, and all who participated!
Bernie Ladouceur (OFNC), compiler
The Ottawa-Gatineau CBC was held Sunday, December 15. The count is a joint effort of the Ottawa Field Naturalists’ Club (OFNC) and the Club des ornithologies de l’Outaouais (COO). Temperatures ranged from -15 to -7 C, with only a few centimetres of snow on the ground; waterways were partly frozen.
Approximately 170 field observers and 26 feeder watchers found 77 species and 42,855 individuals. The most abundant bird was, again, American Crow. We produced a roost count of 25,000 birds, down several thousand from the previous year, but the effort was hampered by more birds than usual coming into the roost well after dusk.
Highlights included Northern Pintail, 2 Green-winged Teal, 5 Greater Scaup, Common Loon, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Northern Saw-whet Owl, an amazing 4 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, an equally amazing 7 Eastern Bluebirds, White-crowned Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, and Pine and Yellow-dumped Warblers.
There were record highs for Eastern Screech Owl (6), Common Raven (181), Winter Wren (3), Carolina wren (7), and White-throated Sparrow (62). 40 Hooded Margansers tied a record high. Red-winged Blackbird (3) and Common Grackle put in their first appearances in a while. Count week birds included Red-necked Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Snowy Owl, and Red-bellied Woodpecker.
Winter finches were near non-existent (10 Pine Siskin and 1 Evening Grosbeak); and numbers were low, too, for Bohemian Waxwing (6). Cedar Waxwing (13), and Purple Fich (18). On the other hand, birds such as Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush (6), Northern Flicker (3), and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, once very rare in the winter, are becoming regular winter birds for us. Dark-eyed Junco (950) and Northern Cardinal (790) were very close to record highs. Winter birding in Ottawa sure has changed!
Thanks to my co-compiler, Daniel Toussaint of the COO, the sector leaders, and all who participated!
Bernie Ladouceur (OFNC), compiler
