American Birds 106 - National Audubon Society

Regional Summaries of the 106th Christmas Bird Count
Count circles in
ATLANTIC CANADA
ATLANTIC CANADA
New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador,
Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island,
Sainte-Pierre et Miquelon
Ian A. McLaren
Biology Department
Dalhousie University
Halifax, NS B3H 4J1
I.A.McLaren@Dal.Ca
Last year’s record of 50 counts was
matched this year. Count day weather,
by my subjective ranking, was as permissive
as any on record. There were more
observers (924) and parties (493) than
ever. In terms of effort, the miles walked
(1303) and driven (10,073) were respectively
the third and second highest on
record. The total of 351,544 individuals
was only the fifth highest, perhaps
reflecting diminishing returns for effort.
Still, avid searchers managed to find a
record 180 species, plus two more during
count week. As usual, Nova Scotia set
the pace in effort and yield of individuals
and species, with Halifax-Dartmouth
setting a regional record of 135 species.
It seems worth taking stock (using
trends in numbers per party hour) of
some forest species in the region where
industrial forestry has huge impacts.
Most gratifying is a highly significant,
almost tenfold increase in Pileated
Woodpeckers since the early 1960s,
although they’ve leveled off in recent
years. But what accounts for an almost
fourfold increase in Hairy and twofold
increase in Downy woodpeckers Are
their populations being augmented by
increased winter bird feeding, or are they
merely concentrated for counting at
feeders Some comparisons among other
forest dwellers may give insight.
Golden-crowned Kinglets and Boreal
Chickadees, which rarely visit feeders,
have undergone respectively no significant
change and a highly significant 50
percent decrease on our Christmas Bird
Counts since the early 1960s. By contrast,
Red-breasted Nuthatches, regular
at feeders, show a spiky, but highly significant,
fourfold increase during the
same period. The Pine Grosbeaks, rare
at feeders, have shown no significant
change in status since the 1950s, whereas
THE 106TH CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT AMERICAN BIRDS 43

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus
ludovicianus), Wabush-Labrador City,
Labrador. Photo/Sandra & Lorne Slaney
the feeder-frequenting Purple Finches
have undergone a threefold increase
(admittedly irregular and barely significant).
The question remains: population
enhancement or feeder bias Regional
Breeding Bird Surveys (BBSs) are
uncontaminated by feeder bias. The two
woodpeckers, the chickadee, kinglet,
and Pine Grosbeak all show similar BBS
and CBC trends, but the Purple Finch
has declined significantly on BBSs, and
so the CBCs may be misleading.
A more casual overview of some other
common species shows waterbirds,
including waterfowl, generally within
recent numerical ranges: only the
Horned Grebe produced a record total of
273. The ratio of Mallards to American
Black Ducks increased three winters ago,
but not since. Last year I made a plea to
count hybrids; these were probably still
underestimated at about one percent of
the combined parent species. The 330
Harlequin Ducks exceeded by about 50
any previous regional total. Regular diurnal
and nocturnal raptors were within
recent ranges, although there were
record counts of Bald Eagles (814) and
Peregrine Falcons (10). Numbers of both
Rock Pigeons and Mourning Doves
seem to have stabilized. Among the
irruptives, Bohemian Waxwings were
up, Cedars down, Northern Shrikes
about the same, and winter finches,
except for Common Redpoll and
Evening Grosbeak, were below last year’s
levels. Counts of most sparrows and
icterids were within usual ranges, but an
all-time low of 16 Brown-headed
Cowbirds (known to be in trouble) is
worth noting. On the edge here,
Northern Mockingbirds continued to
dwindle, Northern Cardinals held fast,
and House Finches fell sharply.
Finally, there were the usual prize
finds. In St. John’s, NL, a Snowy Egret
and a count week Great Egret were both
seconds for the region, and a second
count day Yellow-legged Gull added
luster to the usual array of transatlantic
(mostly Icelandic) bird visitors. Ten warbler
laggards this year included the
region’s second-ever Cape May Warbler,
and a record two, plus one count week,
Yellow-throated Warblers. Other western
and southern vagrants included a
Western Tanager, a Blue Grosbeak, two
Clay-colored Sparrows, but only eight
Red-bellied Woodpeckers, compared
with last year’s startling 55. Unusually
strong zonal airflow in mid-October had
occasioned a pileup of mid-continent
migrants, mostly along the Atlantic
coast of Nova Scotia. Because of that, a
surprising 39 Northern Catbirds, seven
Dickcissels, and a record 27 Northern
Orioles lingered. Large numbers of
Snow Geese arrived at the same time,
and a record 23 remained on CBCs.
With them was the region’s first Ross’s
Goose in St. John’s, NL. Even more
impressive was a huge fallout in Nova
Scotia from Hurricane Wilma of unusual
shorebirds, southern gulls and terns,
Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Chimney Swifts,
and swallows, brought on October 26
to Nova Scotia. From these, a number
lingered to be counted: 31 Long-billed
Dowitchers (a regional first), a count
week Laughing Gull and Common
Tern, two Forster’s Terns, and a regional
record of eight Tree Swallows.
QUEBEC
Marcel Darveau
Attaché de recherche
Centre de recherche en biologie forestière
Pavillion Abitibi-Price, local 2164
Université Laval, Ste-Foy QC G1K 7P4
marcel.darveau@sbf.ulaval.ca
The 106th Christmas Bird Count was
a very good year in Québec. A total of
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis),
Kingston, Nova Scotia.
Photo/Jocelyn Verrault
138 species was observed on count day,
of which 51 were aquatic species (37
percent of all species), 21 were raptors
(hawks and owls; 15 percent), and 66
were land birds (grouses, woodpeckers,
passerines; 48 percent).
Twenty-eight counts were done in
Québec this year, plus the Ottawa-
Gatineau count that is done half in
Québec and half in Ontario (assigned to
the Ontario region, but included in this
analysis as well). There was no change in
the number of counts compared to last
year. From a national point of view,
Québec still has a very poor per capita
performance of one count per 240,000
inhabitants, compared with the
Canadian average of one count per
90,000 inhabitants.
The 29 counts were done between 15
December and 3 January. The most
popular count day was 17 December,
with 13 counts, followed by 18
December, with six counts. All counts
reported good weather conditions on
count day, except perhaps for the cold
temperatures in La Tuque and the winds
in Cap-Saint-Ignace. In total, 778 participants
were distributed over the 29
counts, of which 640 were in the field
and 138 at feeders. Québec City had the
highest number of field observers (107),
followed by Ottawa-Gatineau (98).
As to the birds, the 138 species observed
in Québec counts totalled 217,307 individuals.
Among Québec counts, Granby
ranked first with 32,784 birds, mostly
due to the presence of its crow dormitory
(28,124 of those birds were American
44 AMERICAN BIRDS

Crows). Saint-Jean-sur-le-Richelieu ranked
second with 24,829 birds, of which
13,132 were crows. Notwithstanding
these high scores, the frontier count of
Ottawa-Gatineau was a distant third
with 47,363 birds, of which only 11,114
were crows. Unsurprisingly, Ottawa-
Gatineau ranked first in the number of
species (78), followed by Montréal (68)
and Québec City (66). Contrary to previous
years, several other counts totalled
60 species or more: Lennoxville (63),
Longueuil (63), Percé (63), Laval-
Ahuntsic (62), and Hudson (60).
Two species were reported in all
counts (European Starling and Blackcapped
Chickadee), whereas two others
were reported on all counts but one
(Downy Woodpecker and Blue Jay,
absent only in Havre Saint-Pierre). The
total number of individuals (Québec
region, excluding Ottawa-Gatineau) was
more than 10,000 in seven species:
American Crow (55,800), European
Starling (26,429), Bohemian Waxwing
(16,876), Rock Pigeon (14,268), Blackcapped
Chickadee (11,999), House
Sparrow (11,736), and Mallard (11,682).
If we look at threatened species, the
total of 429 Barrow’s Goldeneyes is far
below the mark of 789 birds established
last year, but nevertheless above the previous
mark of 423 established five years
ago. Three counts totalled nearly all the
Barrow’s (Tadoussac, 290; Percé, 104;
and Forillon, 34), the exception being
one in Lennoxville. Only two Harlequin
Ducks were seen (Percé and Forillon)
compared to seven in the last year. On
the contrary, imperilled birds of prey all
did better this year than in the last year.
Sixteen Bald Eagles, 32 Cooper’s
Hawks, and 13 Peregrine Falcons were
seen in Québec counts.
As to the highlights, I should point
out one Greylag Goose (Québec), two
Redheads (Saint-Jean-sur-le-Richelieu),
two Lesser Scaup (Laval-Ahuntsic and
Montréal), one Blue-winged Teal
(Sorel-Tracy), one American Coot
(Saint-Jean-sur-le-Richelieu), one Thayer’s
Gull (Montréal), one Lesser Blackbacked
Gull (Lennoxville), one Killdeer
(Longueuil), one Ring-necked Pheasant
(Hudson), one Great Gray Owl (Chicoutimi-
Jonquiere), one Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
(Drummondville), one Carolina Wren
(Québec), one Ruby-crowned Kinglet
(Montréal), one Townsend’s Solitaire
(Québec), one Gray Catbird (Havre-
Saint-Pierre), one Northern Mockingbird
(Québec), one Brown Thrasher
(Montréal), one Eastern Meadowlark
(Saint-Jean-sur-le-Richelieu), two Rusty
Blackbirds (Sorel-Tracy and Saint-Jeansur-le-Richelieu),
one Orange-crowned
Warbler (Montréal), one Yellow-rumped
Warbler (Matapedia), one Chipping
Sparrow (Montréal), two Fox Sparrows
(Forillon), one Savannah Sparrow
(Saint-Jean-sur-le-Richelieu), and one
White-crowned Sparrow (Havre-Saint-
Pierre). Three interesting species
observed in count week were missed on
count day: Cackling Goose (Laval-
Ahuntsic), Eastern Phoebe (Otterburn
Park), and Lincoln’s Sparrow (Québec).
One group of bird species warrants
our attention this year: the specialists of
the Eastern Spruce Budworm, an insect
of the order of Lepidoptera (butterflies
and moths) which is known as one of
the most, if not the most, destructive
forest insects in Québec. This cyclic
species breaks out at 30-year intervals,
and several passerines that breed in fir
and spruce stands and feed on budworm
larvae have been shown to increase their
populations during outbreaks. Their
numbers could get 10 times higher, a
spectacular increase, but nevertheless far
below the budworm that becomes
10,000 times more abundant during
outbreaks. The most conspicuous budworm
specialist is the Evening Grosbeak.
Historical data for the Christmas Bird
Counts in Québec (available on the
National Audubon Society’s website,
www.audubon.org/bird/cbc) obviously
Count circles in
QUEBEC
THE 106TH CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT AMERICAN BIRDS 45

eflect the last budworm outbreak. The
numbers of grosbeak were low from
1940 to 1963 (0 to 500 birds per year),
then increased steadily and peaked at
7500 birds in 1993, and remained
below 500 from 1995 to 2004. This year
we had 1013 grosbeaks in Québec
counts. Are we on the way to detecting
the effects of the current budworm outbreak
We will see in coming years!
ONTARIO
Sarah Rupert
Point Pelee National Park
407 Monarch Lane, RR1
Leamington, ON N8H 3V4
Sarah.rupert@pc.gc.ca
A total of 106 counts came in from
Ontario this year, with two new counts
contributing data—Holiday Beach in the
South and Uxbridge in the Central East.
There were high counts for many species,
an invasion of sparrows in the South, and
a new species for Canada’s Christmas
Bird Count list. Snow was recorded in the
majority of count circles this year, and for
the most part, temperatures were at or
below freezing, limiting the amount of
water available to waterfowl. This trend
produced large concentrations of waterfowl
in some areas, while others,
normally accustomed to much higher
waterfowl counts, were lacking this year.
A total of 2707 people participated in
the field, up 111 from last year. An additional
1768 people spent 2948.75 hours
watching feeders, down from last year’s
highs. The participants logged a total of
44,233.6 party miles, up about 1,000
from last year, and a total of 8031.25
party hours. All regions had active owling
in pre-count hours—a total of
240.25 hours and 1063 miles were spent
in the pursuit of these nocturnal creatures;
despite covering less area, the extra
hours logged this year garnered 963
individuals. Observers recorded a total of
1,367,023 birds of 180 different species,
down four species from last year.
Blenheim led the field this year, with 109
species reported, followed by Long Point
with 105 and Point Pelee and Kingston
close behind, each with 103 species.
A new species for Canadian bird
counts—Le Conte’s Sparrow—was
reported, photographed, and well documented
in Kingston this year. High
counts for several other species of sparrows
were reported across Ontario,
especially in the South. A Harris’s
Sparrow was found at a feeder on Point
Pelee. A single Barn Owl was found on
the St. Clair National Wildlife Area
count, a hopeful sign for the area that
was once home to nesting pairs of this
endangered species. Another invasion of
Black-capped Chickadees was noted in
the fall of 2005, with thousands migrating
to more southern climes—a
whopping 75,589 were noted in the
region this year, with high counts of this
species reported on many counts.
In the Northwest, 12 counts reported,
the same as last year. The area
produced 32,625 individuals and 84
different species, both an increase from
last year. Sturgeon Lake led the area
with 49 species. Temperatures for
counts in the area ranged from a high of
36 degrees Fahrenheit at Thunder Bay
to a low of 1 degree Fahrenheit in
Nipigon-Red Rock. The majority of the
counts (83 percent) had still water
frozen, while moving water was at least
partially open in all areas. Snow depth
ranged from none in Gameland to a
maximum depth of 23 inches recorded
at Nipigon-Red Rock. In all, 122 participants
spent 335.25 hours in the field
(up from last year), split into a maximum
of 61 parties. They clocked a total
of 2071 miles for the area. Of the total
hours, 7.5 were spent owling by five of
the 12 counts, traveling a total of 19
miles. Feeder watchers were again
active, with 173 participants logging
240 hours. These efforts garnered 97
birds per party hour.
Waterfowl counts were limited due to
frozen still water and partially frozen
open water. Significant sightings
include the following: a Wood Duck
(no details) at Sturgeon Lake, a Doublecrested
Cormorant (no details) at Fort
Francis, single Horned Larks at
Sturgeon Lake (no details) and Thunder
Bay, a count week Townsend’s Solitaire
(no details) at Thunder Bay, a high
count of 150 American Robins at
Thunder Bay, and a Savannah Sparrow
(no details) at Thunder Bay.
In the Northeast, six counts reported,
with two counts moved to the Central
East reporting area. Observers reported
a total of 78 species and 19,198 individuals
in this area. Sault Saint Marie led
the area again this year with 57 species
noted, followed by Sudbury with 39 and
Marathon with 27. All the counts
reported temperatures below freezing,
with a high of 26 degrees Fahrenheit;
snow in all areas ranged from a minimum
of three inches in Sudbury to a
maximum of two feet in Chapleau. Still
water was frozen in two-thirds of the
counts in the area and most moving
water was at least partially open. A total
of 129 participants were in the field during
the count period, logging a total of
1795 miles. Sault Saint Marie was the
only count with active owling, logging
2.25 hours and traveling 10 miles. The
number of feeder watchers was high this
year with 82 individuals, a little less than
last year’s 95, but they logged more
hours of observation (356.5 hours versus
the 269.25 hours in the 105th count
period). Efforts in this area garnered 75
birds per party hour.
Waterfowl sighting were concentrated
in Sault Saint Marie and Sudbury again
this year. Significant sightings for the
area included a Gadwall and count week
Harlequin Duck at Sault Saint Marie, a
count week American Coot at Sault
Saint Marie, a Wilson’s Snipe (no
details) at Marathon, and a Thayer’s Gull
and a Nelson’s Gull (Glaucous x Herring
hybrid) at Sault Saint Marie.
The Central West area had 20 counts
reporting this year. A total of 210,093
individuals were recorded by 541 participants;
thus, more individuals were found
by fewer participants this year. The 224
parties—spending 1499.75 party hours
in the field—logged 9938.66 party
miles. More than half of the counts conducted
owling in the area, with 44.75
hours spent and 448 miles traveled in
46 AMERICAN BIRDS

Count circles in
ONTARIO
pursuit. Additionally, 156 people
watched their feeders for 295.5 hours in
assistance to the counts in the area, both
up from last year. The effort garnered
140 birds per party hour in the field.
Counts in the area produced a total of
133 species overall, up 10 from last year.
Peel-Halton led the field again this year
with 75 species, followed by Cambridge
with 71 and Kitchener with 69. The
temperatures on all of the counts were
well below freezing, with the exception
of Meaford and Saugeen Shores. There
was a limited amount of open still water
this year, with the majority of the counts
reporting it frozen. Only one count
(Richmond Hill) reported moving water
completely frozen, the rest having some
or all of their moving water open. Snow
depth was variable, with only one count
(Woodstock) reporting no snow cover,
and depths reaching a maximum of 23
inches in parts of the Saugeen Shores
count circle.
Despite limited amounts of water,
there were still good numbers of waterfowl
found in the area. Winter finches
were fairly evenly distributed throughout
the region. Significant sightings in the
area included Cackling Goose (CW, EO)
at Woodstock, Red-throated Loon (2,
ND) in Wiarton, Black-crowned Night
Heron (1) at Cambridge, Marsh Wren
(1, GD) at Woodstock, Varied Thrush
(1, PS) at Owen Sound, Brown Thrasher
(1, ND) at Mindemoya, Field Sparrow
(1, ND) at Kitchener, and Savannah
Sparrow (2, GD) at Peel-Halton.
The Central East area had 44 counts
reporting this year, with a new count at
Uxbridge and two counts moving into
the reporting area. A total of 344,322
individuals were reported this year by
1093 participants in the field and 1231
feeder watchers—North Bay provided
the largest workforce, with 629 feeder
watchers and 706 feeder-watch hours.
Temperatures were below freezing for
most of the counts—with partially still
Ontario detail
water frozen in most locations and limited
amounts of open moving water.
Kingston led the counts again this year
with 103 species reported, followed by
Ottawa-Gatineau with 78, Prince
Edward Point with 76, and Presqu’ile
with 74. The area produced 149 species,
with the participants logging 19,394
party miles over 3129 total party hours,
producing 110 birds per party hour.
Owling was conducted on just over half
of the counts in this area, logging 62
hours and 409 miles.
With the majority of the counts having
very limited open water, waterfowl
THE 106TH CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT AMERICAN BIRDS 47

sightings were most numerous on
counts located along major lakes and
rivers. Some inland counts reported
waterfowl, but in low numbers.
Significant sightings included the following:
a Cackling Goose at Kingston, a
hybrid Barrow’s x Common Goldeneye
at Ottawa-Gatineau, a Pacific Loon at
Kingston, a Common Moorhen at
Kingston, a count week Eastern Towhee at
Huntsville, single Field Sparrows at Presqu’ile
and Kingston, three Vesper Sparrows
in Kingston and one in Presqu’ile, the
aforementioned Le Conte’s Sparrow
at Kingston, and a Yellow-headed
Blackbird at Presqu’ile.
Finally, 24 counts reported in the
South, with North Shore returning and
a new count becoming established at
Holiday Beach. A total of 760,785 individuals
were tallied during the counts by
822 observers in the field, both up from
last year. Most counts recorded temperatures
around or below the freezing
mark, but there was more snow recorded
than in the previous year, with depths
ranging from 0 to 17 inches, the latter at
Strathroy. A total of 11,033 party miles
were logged during the 2810 party
hours in the field. Only three counts did
not report owling activity—123.75
party hours and 824 miles were recorded
in the area this year. An additional
126 observers logged 246.75 hours at
feeders in this area, down from last year.
The efforts contributed 271 birds per
party hour, the highest in the region,
and 161 species.
Blenheim had the most species
recorded again this year with 109, followed
closely by Long Point with 105
and Point Pelee with 103 species (with
an additional 14 species in count week).
The South again had concentrations of
waterfowl this year; however, they were
far less widespread. The majority of
these concentrations were in the western
end of Lake Ontario (for example,
24,304 Long-tailed Duck in Hamilton),
leaving some counts with much lower
numbers than usual. Again, the high
counts for Common Merganser
(21,929/16,421) and Red-breasted
Merganser (8010/5108) were surpassed.
Sparrows were abundant in the area this
year, with record numbers for many
species reported and a great diversity of
species found. Red-bellied Woodpeckers
continued their upward trend again this
year (645), amid some speculation that
the increase may be a result of the outbreak
of the Emerald Ash borer.
Highlights in the South include a
Greater White-fronted Goose at
Fisherville; three Cackling Geese at
Cedar Creek; a Harlequin Duck at
Toronto; a Barrow’s Goldeneye at
Hamilton and another count week at
Point Pelee; a count week California
Gull (no details) at West Elgin; a Purple
Sandpiper in Kettle Point and another
count week bird in Toronto; a Barn Owl
at St. Clair National Wildlife Area; a
House Wren at Point Pelee; single Pine
Warblers at Blenheim and Point Pelee;
single Lincoln’s Sparrows at Holiday
Beach and London; a Harris’s Sparrow
at Point Pelee; a Dickcissel (no details)
at West Elgin; and an Evening
Grosbeak at Point Pelee, the only one
recorded in the South this year.
Thanks to all for their efforts. Keep
sending in your reports and comments—they
are much appreciated.
Good birding to you all!
PRAIRIE PROVINCES AND
NORTHERN CANADA
Alberta, Northwest Territories, Nunavut
Rainer Ebel
18624-70 Avenue
Edmonton, AB T5T 2V8
graejay@shaw.ca
Manitoba
Robert Parsons
68 Thatcher Drive
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2L3
rparsons@icenter.net
Saskatchewan
Guy Wapple
322 Gilliam Circle
Saskatoon, SK S7N 3R9
gswap@sk.sympatico.ca
Ninety-two Christmas Bird Counts
were held in the region this year, eight
more than last year—19 in Manitoba
(up two), 22 in Saskatchewan (up one),
45 in Alberta (up four), three in
Northwest Territories, and three in
Nunavut (up one). A total of 132 species
was reported, 75 in Manitoba, 92 in
Saskatchewan, 115 in Alberta, 26 in
Northwest Territories and five in
Nunavut. In Manitoba, Winnipeg had
the most species at 45, with Brandon,
Cypress River, and Pinawa in a threeway
tie for second place (33). In
Saskatchewan, Gardiner Dam and
Saskatoon tied for the highest total,
with 40 species each. Regina wasn’t far
behind with 36. In Alberta, Calgary
reported the most species (72), followed
by Edmonton (55) and Medicine Hat
(54). Many areas in all three provinces
reported an absence of winter finches,
which affected their results.
Manitoba had new counts submitted
from Gimli and Kleefeld. There were
51,505 birds of 75 species recorded. An
additional three were recorded in count
week only: Common Merganser at
Pinawa, Northern Goshawk at Riding
Mountain and Lyleton, and Roughlegged
Hawk in Winnipeg.
The usual strategy of holding counts as
early in the period as possible did not
reward compilers for the 2005–2006 season.
The first six days were very cold; then
temperatures ameliorated considerably.
Snow cover was slightly below average.
Downy and Hairy woodpeckers,
Black-capped Chickadee, and House
Sparrow were recorded on all counts;
Common Raven narrowly missed, with
a count week only appearance at Lyleton
spoiling its perfect attendance. Blue Jay
and Black-billed Magpie were missed on
one count each.
Unusual species included a Snow
Goose at St. Adolphe, as well as a count
week bird at Winnipeg; a Prairie Falcon
at Cypress River and another during
count week at Lyleton; three Northern
Hawk Owls, one at Balmoral and count
week birds at Pinawa and Selkirk; two
Short-eared Owls, one at Brandon and
a count week bird at Lyleton; a Red-bellied
Woodpecker at Morden; two
Carolina Wrens (one at Delta and a
48 AMERICAN BIRDS

Count circles in
PRAIRIE PROVINCES AND NORTHERN CANADA
Alberta detail
Manitoba detail
count week bird at Pinawa, both well
documented); three Varied Thrushes,
one each at Glenboro and Winnipeg,
and a count week bird at Brandon; a
Song Sparrow at Selkirk; a Swamp
Sparrow at St. Adolphe; single
Northern Cardinals at St. Adolphe and
Winnipeg; a Brown-headed Cowbird
at Morden; and a Cackling Goose,
Peregrine Falcon, and Townsend’s
Solitaire at Winnipeg.
It was a banner year for Bald Eagles,
with several count compilers remarking on
their high numbers. Most other raptors
were not numerous. It is really odd to see
Sharp-shinned (singles on four counts) and
Cooper’s hawks (singles on two counts)
outnumbering Northern Goshawks on
Manitoba Christmas Bird Counts.
It was one of the poorest-ever winters
for finches. House Finch and Common
Redpoll were regarded as low by most
compilers, and Hoary Redpoll was
missed altogether, perhaps a first-time
occurrence. Evening Grosbeaks continue
their slide toward oblivion. Though their
total of 687 still made them the second
most numerous finch, it’s worth noting
that the Pinawa count alone used to have
numbers well in excess of that. The only
THE 106TH CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT AMERICAN BIRDS 49

finch to really buck the trend was
American Goldfinch, which was in quite
impressive numbers on several counts,
being the most numerous finch on
Manitoba CBCs. Another first-time
occurrence!
A few counts had no or poor documentation
of rarities, and a few species
were, in consequence, deleted or reduced
to the rank of “sp.” Most counts were
well done (with prodding in a few cases).
In particular, I would like to thank Cal
Cuthbert, Jean Horton, Rudolf Koes,
and Peter Taylor for meticulously documenting
their counts’ rarities.
An impressive 92 species were reported
in Saskatchewan. With the exception
of the first few days of count period,
generally mild conditions prevailed
across the province. Snowfall was below
average in central and southwest areas,
while the north and eastern regions had
normal amounts.
The fairly mild conditions resulted in
reports of 15 water birds. A Snow Goose
at Regina was unusual. Large numbers
of Canada Geese remained in many
areas. For the second consecutive year
there were Cackling Geese among the
Canadas at Gardiner Dam. Mallard
numbers were strong as well. A new
record total of 15,550 remained at
Gardiner Dam. A single Greater Scaup
was also at Gardiner for the third time.
It was the province’s fourth CBC sighting
overall. The Qu’Appelle Dam had
several rarities, including single sightings
of Blue-winged Teal, Ring-necked
Duck, and Western Grebe.
Observers reported a good assortment
of raptor species. Sharp-shinned Hawks
were present in four areas, including one
at Squaw Rapids, new to the list there.
Saskatoon had the only Cooper’s Hawk.
A single Red-tailed Hawk remained at
Fort Walsh for the fourth time. Squaw
Rapids had a record four Rough-legged
Hawks. American Kestrels, rare in winter,
were at Saskatoon and Swift
Current. The only gulls were five
Herrings at Gardiner Dam. Eurasian
Collared-Doves continue to establish
themselves in the southern part of the
province, with 25 at Swift Current.
Squaw Rapids had an excellent total of
seven Northern Hawk Owls, while
Prince Albert reported the only Boreal.
Single Northern Saw-whets were at
Gardiner Dam (new to the count there)
and Regina.
A rare resident in the Saskatoon area,
the Pileated Woodpecker made its second
consecutive appearance on the
count there. Boreal Chickadees wandered
south of the forest this season, with
a record count of six at Biggar. Regina
also had a new count high of 10 Brown
Creepers. The two western vagrants,
Townsend’s Solitaire and Varied Thrush,
turned up on two counts each. The latter
species was at Gardiner Dam for only the
second time. In spite of an abundant
berry crop, American Robins were
scarce. A single Ruby-crowned Kinglet
at Gardiner Dam was only the second
CBC record for Saskatchewan. The first
was at Biggar in 1972!
A well-documented Eastern Towhee
at a feeder in Regina was a new CBC
species for the province. The species is
an uncommon breeding bird in eastern
Saskatchewan. Regina also had the
province’s tenth CBC Northern
Cardinal, which had been present since
the fall. Rounding out their list of
unusual species was a Brown-headed
Cowbird. As mentioned earlier,
observers noted a shortage of redpolls
and other winter finches in the parklands.
House Finch numbers continue
to rise exponentially in most urban centers,
with only Swift Current reporting a
decline in numbers.
In Alberta, 1049 participants tallied
115 species (and five forms) for the
province. Twenty-one species of waterfowl
were reported, just over half of all waterfowl
occurring in Alberta. A single Snow
Goose was reported from Medicine Hat.
Nine Alberta localities reported 32,858
Canada Geese, a 24 percent decrease from
last year. Most were in Calgary (19,480),
Medicine Hat (10,577; up about 3000
from last year), and Pincher Creek
(1934). Just over 22,000 Mallards were
counted, reported from about one quarter
of the count circles. Other puddle ducks
were American Wigeon (7), Blue-winged
Teal (1), Northern Shoveler (3), Northern
Pintail (2), and American Green-winged
Teal (14). Six species of diving ducks and
two species of mergansers were reported.
Redheads (6) and a single Lesser Scaup
were reported from Calgary, while
Medicine Hat counted a pair of Ringnecked
Duck.
The King Eider photographed on the
Banff-Canmore count circle was certainly
Alberta’s best duck sighting for the year.
King Eider (Somateria spectabilis), Banff-Canmore, Alberta. Photo/Royce Howland
50 AMERICAN BIRDS