Thunder Bay Field Naturalists
2002 Christmas Bird Counts
This was our 63rd Thunder Bay CBC, the first one having taken place in 1939.
The total species count was 44. This is almost right on the previous 10-year average of 42.6, and short of the record of 53 species set in 1994. No new species were added to the list this year.
Total individual birds comes in at 12,199, higher than the previous ten-year average of 10,509, but short of the record 16,667 set in 1994.Highlights were a meadowlark species in the grassy waterfront railyards, only the second time on the count, and 2 Iceland Gulls at the John St. dump: this species has been recorded only 6 times before. A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was reported for species #44, without supporting details; this species has only been recorded once before.
Several new high counts were set. Numbers of Purple Finches were unprecedented: the 449 counted smashed the previous high of 107 seen in 1979, and are 54-times the previous 10-year average of 8! Most winters there aren’t any here. New highs were set for Black-capped Chickadee and Red-breasted Nuthatch, previous highs having been being recorded in 1994 and 1988 respectively. Red-breasted Nuthatch numbers were 5-times the previous 10-year average. And European Starlings were up to a new high, the previous record being 3640 last year.Other high, but not record-breaking, counts were Bald Eagle, just one shy of last year’s 27 individuals, and American Goldfinch. Good birds that tied the previous highs were Northern Goshawk (2) and Three-toed Woodpecker (2).
On the down side, there were no owls, and the only sparrow species seen was Dark-eyed Junco. This is particularly strange since there was practically no snow cover this year, and there were exposed weed seeds in abundance. Most finch numbers were down, with Pine Grosbeak at 40% of the previous 10-year average, Pine Siskin at 10%, Evening Grosbeak almost nonexistent with only 3 counted, and no Redpolls at all! It seems that the less hardy finches (Purple Finch, goldfinch) stayed here, and the northern ones didn’t come down for the winter; did they all know it was going to be a mild one?
Other significant misses were Northern Shrike, Gyrfalcon, Merlin, and Northern Cardinal, all of which have been in the count area within the past month.
Crow and Raven numbers were not significantly different from the previous 10-year averages. American Crows were at 110% and Common Ravens at 90%. Blue Jays were almost double the 10-year average. So it looks like the West Nile virus has not had an effect on this group of birds in our area.
A total of 40 observers took part, in 15 groups. The highest species count for one group was 24, in the Vickers Heights area, the lowest was 8, this dubious distinction being shared by 3 groups! All 3 of these parties spent 4 hours or less in the field. Four groups were the early birds, starting at 8:30 am; the latest start time was 9:30. The heaviest gas pedal foot was in area 5 (109 km), and the briskest walkers were in area 1, where they covered 12 km in only 4 hours. Area 9 counters came close behind, walking 10 km in 4 hours.
Three species of birds were seen by all groups: European Starling, Black-capped Chickadee, and Common Raven. Rock Doves were missed in area 14 only (at the north edge of the circle, north of 102) and Crows were amazingly not seen in area 8 (Slate River Valley)! House Sparrows were seen in all areas except 6 and 10.
Accompanying this report is the final tally of both birds and mammals, the former being listed first in taxonomic order, and then in order of abundance. Thanks to all who participated, it was a great effort. We look forward to next year.
Nick Escott, Compiler
Thunder Bay Christmas Bird Count 2002 Data Ignace, Dec 14
Species listed first in taxonomic order and then in descending order of abundance
Species Total Species Total Canada Goose 2 European Starling 3978 American Black Duck 22 House Sparrow 1784 Mallard 142 Rock Dove 1639 Green-winged Teal 1 Black-capped Chickadee 1048 Common Goldeneye 23 Common Raven 879 Common Merganser 1 American Crow 715 Bald Eagle 26 Herring Gull 662 Northern Goshawk 2 Purple Finch 449 Red-tailed Hawk 2 Red-breasted Nuthatch 246 Rough-legged Hawk 1 Mallard 142 Ruffed Grouse 12 Blue Jay 128 Herring Gull 662 American Goldfinch 95 Iceland Gull 2 Bohemian Waxwing 93 Glaucous Gull 12 Hairy Woodpecker 56 Rock Dove 1639 Downy Woodpecker 53 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 Pine Grosbeak 47 Downy Woodpecker 53 Bald Eagle 26 Hairy Woodpecker 56 Common Goldeneye 23 Three-toed Woodpecker 2 American Black Duck 22 Black-backed Woodpecker 1 Dark-eyed Junco 14 Pileated Woodpecker 8 Ruffed Grouse 12 Gray Jay 8 Glaucous Gull 12 Blue Jay 128 Red Crossbill 11 American Crow 715 White-breasted Nuthatch 9 Common Raven 879 Pine Siskin 9 Black-capped Chickadee 1048 Pileated Woodpecker 8 Boreal Chickadee 2 Gray Jay 8 Red-breasted Nuthatch 246 White-winged Crossbill 5 White-breasted Nuthatch 9 Evening Grosbeak 3 Brown Creeper 2 Canada Goose 2 Golden-crowned Kinglet 1 Northern Goshawk 2 American Robin 2 Red-tailed Hawk 2 European Starling 3978 Iceland Gull 2 Bohemian Waxwing 93 Three-toed Woodpecker 2 Dark-eyed Junco 14 Boreal Chickadee 2 Meadowlark sp? 1 Brown Creeper 2 Pine Grosbeak 47 American Robin 2 Purple Finch 449 Green-winged Teal 1 Red Crossbill 11 Common Merganser 1 White-winged Crossbill 5 Rough-legged Hawk 1 Pine Siskin 9 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 American Goldfinch 95 Black-backed Woodpecker 1 Evening Grosbeak 3 Golden-crowned Kinglet 1 House Sparrow 1784 Meadowlark sp? 1 Total individuals 12199 Total species 44 Total observers 40 Total party hours 94
Other area Christmas Bird Counts in 2002
Compilers Al Harris, Barbara McMullen
25 species, 1004 birds.
Highlights: Meadowlark, Catbird, Golden-crowned Kinglet, 5 Three-toed Woodpeckers, 4 Black-backed Woodpeckers.Marathon, Dec 15
Compiler Bill Climie
Final tally: 31 species, 733 birds; plus 2 count-week species
(Glaucous Gull, American Robin).
Highlights were Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Northern Mockingbird, a pair of Northern Cardinals and 2 Common Snipe. NO Evening Grosbeaks, hardly any birds in the bush. 15 participants.Atikokan Dec 15
Compiler Dave Elder
28 species, 1010 individuals.
Highlights: Black-billed Magpie, Brown Creeper, 24 Bald Eagles at the dump.Vermillion Bay Dec 15
Compiler Carolle Eady
Highlights: all 3 grouse species, Cowbirds, Harris' Sparrow.Nipigon Dec 21
Compiler Rob Swainson
28 species; almost all birds in town/at feeders.
Highlights: Belted Kingfisher, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Harris' Sparrow.
