The 20th Annual Sutton Christmas Bird Count
January 1st, 2006
6:30am - 4:30pm

The official annual Sutton Christmas Bird Count reached the important 20 year milestone; two decades of science, recreation and interpretation of the Avian resources of our area this year. In spite of the count being New Years day this year I was inspired by more counters and feeder watchers than ever. Participants included local naturalists of all ages from our local area and others from communities in and around York Region. The Sutton Count has become well known over the years for consistent records and rare species observations.

The day started out overcast at 6:30 a.m. and the conditions were ideal for owlers slowly cruising the concessions of Georgina calling for owls in potential habitat areas that have yielded owls these many years. A record 10 Great horned owls called back to owlers throughout the centre regions of the count area. Smith Boulevard between Egypt and Pefferlaw was a Great horned owl hot spot on this count. An uncommon Barred owl was seen by Don and Barb Cavin near Black River Road and Park Road a few days before the count. Owling just south of this location Robert Copeland with daughter Devon Copeland and myself saw a Barred owl as the dawn came in the same area on count day.

The temperature was seasonally warm about zero degrees. As the light began to appear by 7:30 a.m. the sky remained 100% solid cloud. It remained the entire day except for a short half hour 3:30 - 4:00 p.m. when a bright sun shone for all to marvel at before night came.

It was truly fitting that on the 20th Annual count, with the warm temperatures, much open water on Lake Simcoe, and counters expecting high winter finch numbers because of the bumper coniferous trees seed production that the species count was the highest in the whole history of the count. In total 54 species were observed on the count day, and 2 additional species for the count week. There were 16,189 individual birds recorded for the day. This was one of the highest individuals numbers ever, due to the 10,000 American goldeneye on Lake Simcoe foraging and waiting for the freeze before flying south.

Generally the feeders were not busy as the warm weather was still allowing birds to spread out into forest and field to forage for food. Still, as will be seen below feeder watchers contributed some very good birds to the count as they could watch avian activity from the warmth and comfort of their homes.

The recent years’ pattern of comparatively high numbers of Crows, Blue jays, and Black-capped chickadees since the West Nile decimation of their populations felt 3 and 4 years ago was confirmed this year. The count in our area demonstrated that these birds have indeed recovered from the virus problem that had been observed through declining numbers since 2002.

One very significant bird I saw before the count and on count day was a Raven at the junction of the Black River and Zephyr Creek. Research undertaken by the Zephyr Society of Lake Simcoe and the South Lake Simcoe Naturalists for the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas has confirmed breeding Ravens in our area, the first such evidence in over one-hundred years. Continued conservation of wildlands in the Town will hopefully attract more of these birds, forced to survive in the north (places like Algonquin Park) after the mass clearing of forests in our watersheds in the eighteenth century by European settlers. Considered one of the most intelligent of birds in the whole world, ravens are revered by indigenous people and storied creatures in western literature for centuries, are indeed birds to be welcomed back to our area.

The exciting appearance of the rare boreal vagabonds, the Great Gray owls last year did not reoccur this year. Some thought there might have been an echo effect from last year. This is consistent with the 8-10 year boreal cyclic periodicity well known for the species’ winter invasions into the south and our past counts have never had an echo effect in the year following and invasion.

Now, for the third year in a row, Bald eagles were seen on Lake Simcoe. Others had seen the bird previous to the count particularly Bruce Laverock and Loreena and Paul Campbell at Willow Beach. From Jackson’s Point, Willow Beach to north Keswick as far as we know there was up to 5 birds, the most we have ever had. On the count day some of us saw up to 3 eagles on the ice at the edge of the lake feeding on dead fish. This magnificent bird of prey is indeed a sight one will remember for many years.

Waterfowl, were conspicuous on the mostly open water. Highlights of huge numbers of goldeneye, Common mergansers were in record numbers. Rarer species like Great Black-backed gull, Hooded merganser, Trumpeter swans and one Mute swan were great additions to the count species tally. Irving Himel and his group in north Keswick was fortunate to see a White-winged scoter. This is a western prairie breeding bird that winters on the Atlantic seaboard and only occurs in our area on Lake Simcoe in the rare autumn storm and has never been seen before as late as the Christmas count. This is a great record for the Sutton count. This bird feeds primarily on molluscs, which it collects from mussel beds at depths of 15 to 25 feet. Unlike most diving ducks, which propel themselves underwater with their feet, scoters may also use their wings.

Perhaps the most unexpected bird recorded on the count this year was one Lesser scaup seen off the Mossington Point near Land’s End, another first for the Sutton count. Amongst many goldeneyes, mallards and Canada geese were a few small bufflehead and one smaller black and white duck which Linda Wells and myself in a group with Stephen Pallett identified after some work as the scaup. The Lesser scaup can be best recognized as a scaup by its small black and white body and prominent blue bill. It is distinguished from its larger relative the Greater scaup by its smaller size, white sides along the water line, and white wing stripes when flying. Because it dives for many small animals and is not as much of a vegetarian as other ducks like the Redhead and Canvasback, scaup are not considered choice gamebirds. Confined to the New World, Lesser scaup are thought to be descended from an earlier invasion of North America by the ancestors of both modern species of scaups. Here it evolved into a distinct species, to be joined later by a second arrival, the Greater scaup, found in both hemispheres.

Feeder watchers this year really helped put the count species list as high as it was with species observations like Pine siskins, a few Purple finches, House sparrows, Chipping sparrows and one Winter wren at the home feeder of Audrey and Harold Whitcombe. This wren is tiny and moves like a mouse, creeping through the low, dense tangle of branches covering the forest floor near the feeder in the winter. It is a good record bird in winter counts in our area.

Our Sutton Count is an official Audubon Count (the 105th) held under the auspices of the National Audubon Society and Bird Studies Canada. The data collected over many years provides invaluable scientific information on the winter distribution and ecology of our birds.

Paul Harpley