By Paul and Debra Harpley
The 38th Annual Sutton Christmas Bird Count was Friday, December 27, 2024 with a total of 8,319 individual birds, a noticeable increase from last year’s 7,176 birds counted. Central to this increase was more Canada geese counted. On count day participants documented 59 species in the entire official count area. Geographically, the survey area includes parts of York Region’s municipalities Georgina, East Gwillimbury, Durham Region’s northwest Uxbridge districts, and a part of south-east Simcoe County. A total of 31 birders formally participated in the field and at feeders for the count area this year.
The observation day started as overcast with a 10 kph wind from the southeast at 6:15 a.m. for those “owling”. The air temperature was -4 C at 5:10 a.m. when one individual started their count day. At 7:45 it was -1C near the count center. As the day progressed the temperature rose to 4C in sheltered areas and continued to be cloudy to the end of the day. Some sheltered Lake Simcoe small bays were ice covered. Indeed, Jackson’s Point harbour was completely frozen, and Cook’s Bay was ice covered south of Lakeview Park, where it was open water for good viewing by scope and binoculars to the north and west.
Feeder watchers this year noted in most cases birds were not visiting in numbers they had seen in previous years, though some notable species were observed. With good geographic coverage, participant observers recorded a solid 59 species, up from 55 species in 2022, and 50 in 2023, though heavy rain events and other conditions in recent past years undoubtedly accounted for some of this difference.
Some highlights and notables for the count day were: American robin (313), Brown creeper (2), Pine siskin (3), Eastern screech owl (2), Great Horned owl (3), Snowy owl (8), Barred owl (3), Boneparte’s gull (1), Merlin (3), Northern harrier (1), Snow bunting (397). Obvious species in absence but expected (called misses) this year were some of the common finches.
Rough-legged hawk (2) in Georgina documented consistently in the past in the whole count area, always in small numbers, and habitat-specific, returned to past Georgina locations. Two consistent bird species of interest for bird watchers on the Sutton count, Bald eagle (21) and Snowy owl (8), were seen on count day although absent on the previous year’s rainy CBC day. One birder reported seeing 8 Bald eagles together on the ice!
One rarity, a Hermit thrush (1) in East Gwillimbury, was well documented with photos and a sound recording. The thrush has a bold, buffy to whitish eye-ring and throat, heavy spotting on throat and breast, reddish tail and wing edges which contrast with the otherwise brown feathered back.
Another unexpected species White-winged scoter (2) seen in the Innisfil area of the count is not a usual bird for the Sutton CBC, seen in the past only one bird in 2005. They are migrants from western Canada and the southern Hudson Bay coast flying to main wintering coastal shore grounds on the Atlantic Ocean of the U.S. and southern Canada.
Thanks to all participants on the Christmas Bird Count as field birders or feeder watcher/property observers. South Lake Simcoe Naturalists (SLSN) members’ contributions, and local or ‘from further afield’ birders’ efforts always result in documenting birds that would otherwise not be found. Your collective efforts on the CBC day essentially make each annual Sutton count successful.
Paul and Debra Harpley are compilers of the official Sutton CBC, founding members of the SLSN, and long-time residents of Georgina.
- The 2024 Annual Sutton Christmas Bird Count (C.B.C.) Report - January 7, 2025
- Family of motorist killed crossing Highway 48 calls on province to make intersection safer - December 19, 2024
- Book Review: Andrew Sibbald’s The Briars Between - December 18, 2024
