An Oregon Junco sighted during the 13th annual Christmas Bird Count January 5. Photo by Bob Taylor

Hub Staff

Numbers were down during the annual Saugeen Shores Christmas Bird Count January 5, that saw 26 volunteer bird counters - with six more watching feeders - brave frigid temperatures as well as a snowstorm. The counters finished early due to inclement weather and safety concerns.

In total 2,605 birds were counted with 50 species being represented. During the 2015 Christmas Count 64 species were identified and 12,353 birds were seen in more favourable conditions.

The count area covers a circle 12 kilometres in diameter that centred on the Blind Line and included the mouth of the Saugeen River, the southern boundary of MacGregor Point Provincial Park and the northern half of Paisley.

Large numbers of Herring Gull (426) were counted as well as American Crow (349), European Starling (281), Black-capped Chickadee (207), Wild Turkey (124), Dark-eyed Junco (103), Common Goldeneye (96), and the Mourning Dove (74).

Saugeen Shores Christmas Bird Count Coordinator Norah Toth said they’ve had years with lower species numbers, but 2016 “was on the lower end of the average.” Toth marked 2010’s Christmas Bird Count as the low year identifying only 46 species.

“A lot of the larger raptors and the duck species are not visible on a day like yesterday,” said Toth in a January 6 interview. She said that Canada Geese may have flown south or to the middle of the lake away from the storm rather than remain inland as only one was seen throughout the count.

“I don’t think out of yesterday that we could say that there would be any causes for concern,” said Toth, who did admit that Gull sightings were down from previous years. “Although people really don’t care much for Gulls, in many ways that would indicate changes in our habitats and habits.”

Toth also noted that the Tufted Titmouse, a bird the size of a chickadee and normally found south in areas like Sarnia, have moved north to Saugeen Shores. “They have been reported off and on in a variety of locations and have heard of six or seven being located in the area throughout the months with two being located during the count.” Toth was not able to speculate about the Tufted Titmouse’s move but did say that the recent mild winters could be a factor.

Toth wanted to thank all the volunteers from Kincardine, Owen Sound, Paisley, and Saugeen Shores for their commitment and for braving the weather. “It’s citizen science, a way of contributing to a huge database,” that goes back 117 years in North America and 13 years in Saugeen Shores.

2016 Saugeen Shores Bird Count sightings:

Canada Goose (1), Mute Swan (2), American Black Duck (2), Mallard (27), Greater Scaup (3), Scoter (2), Long-tailed Duck (2), Bufflehead (19), Common Merganser (6), Red-breasted Merganser (10), Ruffed Grouse (5), Horned Grebe (5), Golden Eagle (1), Sharp-shinned Hawk (3), Bald Eagle (5), Red-tailed Hawk (4), Rough-legged Hawk (7), Iceland Gull (1), Glaucous Gull (1), Great Black-backed Gull (14), Gulls (4), Rock Pigeon (20), Red-bellied Woodpecker (10), Downy Woodpecker (32), Hairy Woodpecker (16), Pileated Woodpecker (1), American Kestrel (1), Blue Jay (36), Common Raven (12), Horned Lark (2), Red-breasted Nuthatch (12), White-Breasted Nuthatch (23), Brown Creeper (1), Golden-crowned Kinglet (6), American Robin (24), Snow Bunting (46), American Tree Sparrow (31), Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) (1), Northern Cardinal (27), Common Grackle (1), House Finch (2), Pine Siskin (14), House Sparrow (31).