Uxbridge Christmas Bird Count considered a success

Submitted by Derek Connelly, North Durham Nature

A rare Hermit Thrush, one of the species spotted in the Uxbridge area during the Christmas Bird Count. Photo by Corey Hayes, allaboutbirds.org

Good weather for observation and 70+ people counting can make a difference to the total number of birds seen on the annual Christmas Bird Count! This year was the Uxbridge’s 20th anniversary of the count, and both the birds and birders showed up for the event. Fifty-six species of birds were spotted, well over our 20 year average of 48, and over 11,000 individual birds were counted, close to the maximum ever seen.

Four rare birds, including a Northern Pintail, a Hermit thrush, a White Crowned sparrow and a Lapland Longspur were sighted.

The highest number this year were Snow buntings with over 2,500 seen in four flocks. Canada Geese and Mallards were down in numbers, possibly because most still water was frozen.

Thanks to Ontario Parks for reaching out and offering to count in the new Uxbridge Urban Park on Count Day. Many thanks, too, to Anne and Alan Wells, who once again opened their house for the field count wrap-up and a pot luck supper. Also to Mark Dorriesfield for inputting data that night.

More details of the count will be available on the North Durham Nature (NDN) newsletter for members, on the NDN website and on the Audubon Christmas Bird Count Database under ONUX.