Simcoe County Bird and Nature Board.
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50th Annual Barrie Christmas Bird Count - Summary Report Posted on February 23, 2022 at 03:03:56 AM by Christopher Evans
I am extremely grateful to the Williams Treaties First Nations. Miigwetch. Without your wisdom and stewardship this experience would not have been possible.
Infinite Love and Gratitude to Mother Earth.
Dear Simcoe Nature Board Readers,
Happy Super Tuesday 22022022! How auspicious that our 50th Annual Barrie Christmas Bird Count (CBC) results, and the 11th annual, and last Barrie CBC, which I have compiled and coordinated, should be released on Super Tuesday? Hmmm ... 11x2=22 ... Coincidence? I don't think so.
Now ... The Birds!
Rarities
Northern Pintail Anas acuta - 11th occurrence, 5 observed, previous high 9 in 1999
Greater Scaup Aythya marila - 21st occurrence, 9 observed, not particularly unusual for the count, but difficult to distinguish from the rarer Lesser Scaup, so kudos to the skillful observers
White-winged Scoter Melanitta fusca - 7th occurrence, 3 observed, usually distant making differentiating it among more common species challenging, kudos to Area 9 observers
Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis - 16th occurrence, 6 observed, previous high 28 in 2020
Virginia Rail Rallus limicola - 2nd occurrence according to Audubon CBC records, but 4th occurrence according to club records suggesting insufficient supporting documentation for two of the earlier records, 1 observed, tough bird to find, kudos to Burke & Ted
American Coot Fulica americana - 16th occurrence, 1 observed, uncommon here in winter
Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata - 2nd occurrence according to Audubon CBC records, but 3rd occurrence according to club records, suggesting the 1976 observation of Wilson’s/Common Snipe was not included due to a name change or differentiation between Wilson’s and Common Snipe, 2 observed, tough bird to find, kudos to Burke & Ted
Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus - 21st occurrence, recently common, but Ontario SAR Status is still Special Concern, so we continue to provide rarity reports with extra data to support Birds Canada monitoring programs
cw Merlin Falco columbarius - 11th occurrence, 2 different cw birds, this bird’s numbers are increasing rapidly
Winter Wren Troglodytes hiemalis - 6th occurrence, 1 observed + 1 cw bird, a common bird but seldom seen at any time, and most often identified by its song in spring
Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus - 6th occurrence, 1 + 1 cw bird, increasing range north
Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus - 8th occurrence, 1 observed
Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana - 11th occurrence, 2 observed, sparrows are difficult to identify in winter and Area’s 6 and 8 each found and identified one of these LBJ’s (Little Brown Jobbies)
High Counts
Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata - 2nd occurrence according to Audubon CBC records, but 3rd occurrence according to club records, suggesting the 1976 observation of Wilson’s/Common Snipe was not included due to a name change or differentiation between Wilson’s and Common Snipe, 2 observed, tough bird to find, kudos to Burke & Ted
Barred Owl Strix varia - 7 observed, previous high 4 in 2020
Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus - 20 observed, previous high 18 in 2017, increasing range and numbers, potentially due to climate change, Emerald Ashborer, Beech Bark Disease
Common Raven Corvus corax - 24 observed, previous high 28 in 2018, 26 in 2019
Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus - 941 observed, previous high 1094 in 2014, average 615
Low Counts
Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus - 1 observed, 21st occurrence, recently common, but Ontario SAR Status is still Special Concern, so we continue to provide rarity reports with extra data to support Birds Canada monitoring programs
Rough-legged Hawk Buteo lagopus - 1 observed, previous average 8, high 25
Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis - 170, high 3,264
Herring Gull Larus argentatus - 153 observed, high 4,114
Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus - 14 observed, previous average 23, high 59
American Kestrel Falco sparverius - 1 observed, high of 17 in 1987, declining
Northern Shrike Lanius borealis - 2 observed, high of 16 in 1975
European Starling Sturnus vulgaris - 562 observed, high of 5080 in 2008
Evening Grosbeak Coccothraustes vespertinus - 3 observed, 39th occurrence, but only 6th occurrence since 1995, many earlier and later observations in 2020, an irruptive species now, but used to be regular with high numbers some years, 882 in 1987
House Sparrow Passer domesticus - 60 observed, previous average 368, high 1,407 in 1979
Misses
Common Loon Gavia immer - 35 previous occurrences
Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias - 29 previous occurrences
Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus - 39 previous occurrences
American Robin Turdus migratorius - 34 previous occurrences
Purple Finch Haemorhous purpureus - 34 previous occurrences
Pine Siskin Spinus pinus - 40 previous occurrences
For the nitty gritty details, please see the link to our Nature Barrie Facebook Group.
Once again, COVID-19 was the most important special aspect of this year’s Barrie CBC, the omicron variant being the dominant concern. The Birds Canada guidelines wisely required that we follow all COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines. This meant that we could only safely travel in family bubbles or with N95 masks and ventilation, so that is what we did. Our participation was down 14% from the previous - no covid year, 2019, of 78 to 67. This reduction was due to COVID 19. This reduction in observers, combined with poor birding weather this year resulted in a significant reduction in the total number of birds observed this year.
Our circle is divided into nine sectors or areas, and all nine were covered this year. Comparing our reported effort and tally data to 2019 is interesting. We had fewer observers and poor birding weather, which both conspired to yield fewer individual birds. However, we had 25% more parties in the field and covered 61% more distance and 40% more time by foot which yielded 15% more species, despite the poorer weather conditions.
Over the 50 years of our annual Barrie CBC, birds such as Evening Grosbeaks and Herring Gulls and Ring-billed Gulls often numbered into the high hundreds or thousands. But both 2019 and 2021 Barrie CBCs saw significant reductions in the total number of birds counted and the number of species. There are many changes in the environment which have occurred in the last 50 years, and it is beyond my ability to directly attribute these fluctuations in bird numbers with these changes. However, I offer the following observations which may be contributing factors. The reduced numbers of gull and waterfowl may be due to lower numbers/availability of Emerald Shiners for the past three years. Another factor that may have limited Gull and waterfowl numbers for the past few years, is the City of Barrie’s successful use of falconry to discourage many Gulls from foraging at the Sandy Hollow Landfill site, and the city’s use of very loud noise bangers to try to disrupt and discourage Canada Geese from feeding in and fouling waterfront parks. Both of these control practises serve to disperse and disturb all gulls, waterfowl and other birds, and even people, driving them away from the landfill site and the parks, many beyond the CBC circle. Another factor in the reduction of gulls and European Starlings and House Sparrows may be that the City’s Sandy Hollow Landfill operating procedures have changed, including, but not limited to, a significant redirection of organic waste from the landfill to composting facilities. This may be reducing the available food for these birds, forcing them to forage outside the city limits and outside of the CBC Circle. If they are dispersed, it makes them more difficult to count. Urban Sprawl and other development, Climate Change and other factors all likely have a role, and the data we collect is used by experts to draw more scientific conclusions than I can offer, and to take appropriate action to protect and conserve birds and their habitats.
I would like to thank all of the Birds Canada Christmas Bird Count staff and volunteers, and all of the participants in, and supporters of, the Barrie CBC who made my last eleven years as Compiler/Coordinator possible and successful. It has been a challenging and rewarding experience at all levels, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to have served Nature and my community through this important Community Science project.
I am extremely grateful to have had this wonderful opportunity to serve Nature Barrie/Brereton Field Naturalists Club, the community of Barrie and area, Birds Canada and all of the participants and supporters of the Barrie CBC, as the Barrie CBC Compiler/Coordinator for these past 11 years.
It has been a very challenging and a very rewarding experience. Thank you Alex Mills for inviting me to this role, and thank you Bruce Wilson for accepting my invitation to take on this role for the 51st Annual Barrie CBC, the 123rd Audubon Christmas Bird Count.
And thank you to Bob Bowles for inviting me and leading me on my first ever CBC, the Orillia CBC in 2007.
Yours in Nature,
Chris Evans, Nature Barrie - Barrie CBC Compiler/Coordinator