The 29th Ingersoll CBC was held on December 28, 2010. The total of 66
species was the 3rd highest and was above the 10 year average of 62.2
species and the long term average of 59.2 species.
Six new species were added to the species list -American Wigeon,
Canvasback, Redhead, White-winged Scoter, Long-tailed Duck and
Red-breasted Merganser - a considerable accomplishment for a single year
after 29 years of the CBC. Thanks to James Holdsworth's and Richard
Skevington's parties to made a concerted effort to get into a very
inaccessible abandoned limestone quarry pit, long thought to likely
harbor a number of good birds well into winter.
No doubt the presence of most of these species [very rare in Oxford
County] was due to the two major lake effect storms that came through
Middlesex, Elgin and Oxford Counties in mid December. The storm likely
drove birds off Lake Huron and caused some to fall-out in these
counties. The London, St. Thomas and Port Burwell CBCs also had similar
rare species - especially Long-tailed Duck.
New high counts were:
Wild Turkey 139 [previous 119 in 2009]
Common Goldeneye 42 [31 in 1995]
Cooper's Hawk 13 [tied 2006]
Pine Siskin 66 [60 in 1997]
Other highlights included:
Rough-legged Hawk 19 - 2nd highest count
Red-bellied Woodpecker 32 - 2nd highest count
Field Sparrow 1st in 6 years
Eastern Towhee 1st in 4 years
Fox Sparrow 6th record
Hoary Redpoll 6th record
Winter finches were sparse in numbers and distribution:
Common Redpoll 36 all at one location
Hoary Redpoll 2 same location
Pine Siskin 2 to 5 birds at 3 locations and 55 birds at a 4th
location
Purple Finch singles at 2 locations
Misses:
Cedar Waxwing, Ruffed Grouse, Long-eared Owl, Lapland Longspur
Dave Martin and Ross Snider
damar...@xplornet.com
_______________________________________________
ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial
birding organization.
Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca
For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
