CENTRAL MANITOULIN—Two thousand six hundred and twenty birds of 54 species were counted on the 42nd annual Mindemoya Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, December 19. As well as Mindemoya, the count circle includes M’Chigeeng, Rockville, Big Lake, Snowville, Providence Bay, Grimsthorpe, Spring Bay and Perivale.
Uncommon birds for this time of year included Canada geese and tundra swans on Lake Manitou, a cormorant on Lake Kagawong, one snowy owl, a gray catbird and a brown thrasher at the same feeder in Providence Bay, a Lapland longspur and a white-crowned sparrow.
Twenty-one birders in 10 groups and 28 feeder watchers took part this year.
Prior to the count, December had been very mild with no snow cover and the lakes were all open. On count day, temperatures were just a little below freezing. It did not snow or rain but the winds were very strong, 32 to 41 km/h with gusts to 56 km/h. The lakes were very rough, making it hard to see ducks and the water bird counts were down. Some land birds may also have sheltered from the wind, making them difficult to see. However, walking and driving conditions were good.
Bald eagles seemed to be everywhere and most were seen in flight. Getting an accurate count was difficult but the total of 44 was our best estimate. This was our best count, 12 more than the previous best in 2014. Numbers nave increased over the years. In the 1970s and 1980s the eagle counts never exceeded two. Many rough-legged hawks, winter visitors from the north, are visiting Manitoulin this winter with 17 seen on the count.
For some reason pheasant numbers have declined to 21 this year from the peak of 92 in 2010. Mourning doves have also declined each year for four years. Only seven of the 28 feeder watchers have cardinals. The population of this southern species appears to have peaked in 2010.
Blue jays, black-capped chickadees and white-breasted nuthatch numbers are down a little this year but fluctuations from year to year are not unusual.
American goldfinches are the most popular finch this winter, reported at 16 feeders. Purple finches were in small numbers at five feeders. Other finches were very scarce, with pine siskins at two feeders, evening grosbeaks at one and only one pine grosbeak.
Some of the feeder watchers reported fewer birds this year but nine people reported nine or more species, one having 19 species! With much open water this year some of the feeder watchers were able to include duck and eagle sightings in their lists
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Ron Young gets the 2015 Feeder Watcher Award. Mr. Young lives on Otter Lake and has several bird feeders and keeps counts of all his birds.
The Mindemoya Christmas Bird Count is a project of the Manitoulin Nature Club. Chris Bell is the compiler.
Here is the full list of birds seen: 3 Canada goose; 6 tundra swan; 37 black duck; 114 mallard; 23 bufflehead; 218 common goldeneye; 35 hooded merganser; 104 common merganser; 21 ring-necked pheasant; 14 ruffed grouse; 1 common loon; 2 horned grebe; 9 red-necked grebe; 1 double-crested cormorant; 44 bald eagle; 1 northern harrier; 2 red-tailed hawk; 17 rough-legged hawk; 5 ring-billed gull; 102 herring gull; 1 great blacked gull; 75 rock pigeon; 122 mourning dove; 1 snowy owl; 1 barred owl; 4 red-bellied woodpecker; 32 downy woodpecker; 20 hairy woodpecker; 6 pileated woodpecker; 2 northern shrike; 254 blue jay; 94 American crow; 185 common raven; 8 horned lark; 312 black-capped chickadee; 25 red-breasted nuthatch; 27 white-breasted nuthatch; 1 gray catbird; 1 brown thrasher; 114 European starling; 1 Lapland longspur; 63 snow bunting; 22 American tree sparrow; 1 white-throated sparrow; 1 white-crowned sparrow; 21 dark-eyed Junco; 18 Northern cardinal; 7 common grackle; 1 pine grosbeak; 21 purple finch; 2 common redpoll; 23 pine siskin; 350 American goldfinch; 8 evening grosbeak; and 37 house sparrow.
