Rondeau/Blenheim Christmas Bird Count preview

The Rondeau/Blenheim Christmas Bird Count is tomorrow, December 16. This will be the 79th CBC here, making it one of the longest running counts in Ontario. Our cumulative list of birds is about 191 species, which is pretty phenomenal. Over the last couple of decades we have seldom recorded fewer than 100 species for the day, and on two occasions recorded 115 species. This count is regularly in the top three of Ontario.

This count has the potential to add four new species, all of which have been seen in the last week, and some just in the last day or so and are officially within the count week (three days before and three days after the actual count day). Those four species are Great Kiskadee, White-eyed Vireo, Baltimore Oriole and Trumpeter Swan. Only the vireo has been seen within the count week period so far, but the others are likely still around, so hopefully they will appear soon.

As usual, some effort is put in to the three days before the count day, to scout around and see if the rarities are still around. I have been out a couple of times. The kiskadee has not been seen, but there is a lot of area for it to move in to and it will be a challenge to find it. The vireo has been seen in its usual area.

 Some of us have been present at daybreak or before, hoping that the kiskadee, shown at the header of this blog, will stick to its usual routine, but this has not happened in the last few days. The sunrise, however, can be attractive while we patiently wait and watch.

 There are the usual species, although some are only present in low numbers such as the Northern Flicker.

 Raptors are not as abundant as some years. This Red-tailed Hawk has been hanging around the north end of the park,and doesn't seem to mind photographers.

 Ruby-crowned Kinglets are diminishing in numbers but there are still a few around.

 As the park quietens from the lack of humans present, the deer are out in the open a bit more.

One of the surprises of the last few weeks has been the abundance of loons, and specifically, the Red-throated Loon. We've only had Red-throats on one occasion on this count, back in 1981. If the ones that have been around are still around tomorrow, we will blow that number out of the water (pun intended). In the last week or so there have been as many as 100 Red-throated Loons seen off the east beach and along the lake shore just north of the park. They aren't real close to shore, but with binoculars one will usually see a few, and with a scope, a lot more.

Here's hoping.......

A visit to the Erieau area turned up a few expected species, none of which are a guarantee some years. We've had more than 8200 American Coots one time, but some years we don't get any. At the moment, there are two at Erieau.

 We get Belted Kingfisher about half the time. There could be as many as 5 in the area, possibly more. Four have been seen along the lake just north of the park, and this female has been hanging out at Erieau.

 Bald Eagles are pretty much a guarantee anymore. It wasn't that long ago when getting even one on the count was considered good. In the last decade and a half we have averaged about 10 birds.

Snowy Owls are around, although they are often well out in a field and too far to bother with the camera for. I saw two today in the fields between Lagoon Road and Fargo Road, but they were on a gas pipe a long way out.

Wild Turkeys were not seen until 2004, as a result of the re-introduction of the species in Ontario that began in the 1980s. Since 2004 we have recorded them annually, with as many as almost 350 reported one year.

Waterfowl can make up a significant part of this count's totals. Most years will see between 20-30 species of them. This year might not be a banner year due to the cold spell 2-3 weeks ago which encouraged a lot of them to depart farther south. However although the total number of waterfowl individuals and species might not be as high as some year, I'm sure we can get close to 20 species, maybe more, including a new species for the count: Trumpeter Swan, as two pairs of them have been sighted fairly regularly in various locations.

Tundra Swans and Mute Swans will be a guarantee, however.

In only a few hours we will have the results of the 2018 count, and a report on the highs and lows will be forthcoming. For those readers of this blog who are involved in bird counts in your areas over the next few weeks, have a great day with lots of birds!