A "noticeable increase" of birds — Canada geese in particular — was tracked during the annual count by local birders last month.
A total of 8,319 birds, up from last year’s 7,176 birds, were noted during the 38th annual Sutton Christmas bird count Dec. 27 in Georgina, East Gwillimbury, Durham northwest Uxbridge and south-east Simcoe County, according to a report submitted by Paul and Debra Harpley, founding members of the South Lake Simcoe Naturalists.
The 31 count participants documented 59 species in the official count area, up from 55 species in 2022, and 50 in 2023 —though heavy rain events and other conditions in recent past years undoubtedly accounted for some of this difference, the report said.
The observation day started as overcast with a 10 km/h wind from the southeast at 6:15 a.m. for those “owling.” The air temperature was -4C at 5:10 a.m. when one counter started. At 7:45 a.m. it was -1C near the count centre, and as the day progressed, the temperature rose to 4C in sheltered areas. Some sheltered Lake Simcoe small bays were ice covered, with Jackson’s Point harbour completely frozen and Cook’s Bay ice covered south of Lakeview Park.
Some highlights and notables for the count day were: American robin (313), brown creeper (2), pine siskin (3), eastern screech owl (2), great horned owl (3), snowy owl (8), barred owl (3), boneparte’s gull (1), merlin (3), northern harrier (1), snow bunting (397). Obvious species in absence but expected (called misses) this year were some of the common finches.
Two rough-legged hawks documented consistently in the past in the entire count area — always in small numbers, and habitat-specific — returned to Georgina locations. Two consistent bird species of interest for bird watchers on the Sutton count, bald eagle (21) and snowy owl (8), were seen on count day although absent on the previous year’s rainy count day. One birder reported seeing eight bald eagles together on the ice, the report said.
One rarity, a hermit thrush in East Gwillimbury, was well documented with photographs and a sound recording. The thrush has a bold, buffy to whitish eye-ring and throat, heavy spotting on throat and breast, reddish tail and wing edges which contrast with the otherwise brown feathered back.
Another unexpected species, a white-winged scoter (2), was seen in Innisfil, with only of those birds noted in 2005 count. They are migrants from western Canada and the southern Hudson Bay coast, flying to main wintering coastal shore grounds on the Atlantic Ocean in the U.S. and southern Canada.
Thanks to all participants on the Christmas Bird Count as field birders or feeder watcher/property observers. South Lake Simcoe Naturalists (SLSN) members’ contributions, and local or ‘from further afield’ birders’ efforts always result in documenting birds that would otherwise not be found. Your collective efforts on the CBC day essentially make each annual Sutton count successful.
