Birders,
Through the 2016-2017 winter birding season, a period running from December 1, 2016 through February 28, 2017, a total of 216 species were observed in Ontario. This represents our third highest total since these annual compilations began in 2007-2008. We tied the 216 species seen in 2012-2013, but were still well short of the 224 species from 2011-2012, and the 221 species from 2015-2016. Since my last update to Ontbirds on January 31, 2017, an additional four species were added to this winter's total. They included Barn Owl (an individual on private property seen earlier this winter), Varied Thrush (Thunder Bay), and a few exceptionally early spring migrants including Greater Yellowlegs (Long Point), and Blue-winged Teal (Hillman Marsh). An impressive list of unusual species were seen during this past winter. As far as I could discern, two species represented the first winter record for Ontario, which were Red-necked Phalarope and Crested Caracara. Some of the other highlights included American Bittern, Sora, Western Sandpiper, Slaty-backed Gull, White-winged Dove, Cave Swallow, Smith's Longspur, Bay-breasted, Chestnut-sided and Black-throated Gray Warblers, Nelson's Sparrow and Western Meadowlark. Some of the misses from this past winter included California Gull (seen in 8 of the last 9 winters), House Wren (8 of 9), Baltimore Oriole (8 of 9), Blue-headed Vireo (6 of 9), Cape May Warber (6 of 9), Yellow-throated Warbler (6 of 9), Spotted Towhee (6 of 9), Pomarine Jaeger (5 of 9), and Gray-crowned Rosy-finch (5 of 9). The list can be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/myyulvs . I have also provided a link on my blog, located at http://joshvandermeulen.blogspot.ca/p/ontario-winter-bird-list.html . As always, please send me an email if you know of a sighting of one of the missing species observed between December 1, 2016 and February 28, 2017, or if you see any errors in the spreadsheet either from this winter or from winters past. Good birding, Josh Vandermeulen Niagara Falls, Ontario joshvandermeulen.blogspot.com _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide Visit the OFO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists
