By: Paul Harpley

We were inspired this year 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 and Toronto. The Sutton count has become well known over the years for consistent records and rare species observations.

The day started out partially overcast at 6:30 a.m. and with almost no wind, 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. Four great horned owls called back to owlers throughout the centre regions of the count area. Smith Boulevard and Frog Street between Egypt and Pefferlaw were owl hot spots.

A real highlight this year was a calling barred owl, the first found calling in a number of years of owling on the count day.  

The temperature was seasonally warm about zero degrees, varying a few degrees above or below throughout the day. As the light began to appear by 7:30 a.m. the sky remained 100 per cent solid cloud, and remained the entire day.

With the recent warm temperatures, there was much open water on Lake Simcoe. Indeed, other than much of Cook's Bay at Keswick, the lake was fully open except for a few hundred feet of ice at the shore edges. There was a lot of ground snow and counters expected high winter finch numbers because of the bumper coniferous trees seed production observed. In total 53 species were observed on the count day and three additional species for the count week.

There were 7,728 individual birds recorded for the day.

Generally the feeders were not busy as the warmer weather was still allowing birds to spread out into forest and field to forage for food. Still, some feeders with very active and resourceful owners were very active and contributed some very good birds to the count.

The significant continued winter presence of raven in the Egypt area was again confirmed by Steven Pallett and Gerry Green. 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 more than 100 years. Continued conservation of wildlands in the town will hopefully attract more of these birds, forced to survive in the north (places such as Algonquin Park) after the mass clearing of forests in our watersheds in the 18th 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.

For the fourth year in a row, bald eagles were seen again on Lake Simcoe at this time of the year. Others had seen the bird previous to the count particularly Bruce Laverock and Lorena and Paul Campbell at Willow Beach and on count morning an observation of a Bald Eagle at the Mossington bridge at the mouth of the Black River.  From Jackson’s Point, Willow Beach to north Keswick, as far as we know, there was up to seven birds, the most we have ever had.

On the count day some of us saw two eagles on the ice, roosting in trees. These eagles hug the lake coast at the edge of the lake and follow river courses feeding on dead fish and weakened or sick waterfowl. Irving Himel and his group in north Keswick was fortunate to see a record six bald eagles all at once in the same place. As soon as the winter really grips our area and the ice closes in on the lake, they quietly leave us for warmer climes to the south. This magnificent bird of prey is a sight that can indeed inspire first time birders to a life of bird observation.

Waterfowl, were conspicuous on the mostly open water, with American goldeneye, common mergansers and bufflehead recorded in much lower numbers than last year. No real rarities were found on the lake this year in sharp contrast to 2006. Previous to the count in October and November canvasback, greater scaup, and northern shoveller duck had been seen along the lake shore but come count time were long gone.

Perhaps the most unexpected bird recorded on the count this year was a yellow-rumped warbler spotted by Hendrik Hart of Mount Albert.

A Carolina wren record was recorded by Don and Barb Cavin. Originally reported by a local photographer as a Philadelphia warbler (which would have been really rare) the Carolina wren was the only one for the count. We have seen this southern wren in the winter a few years previously and interestingly, in the same general geographic area.

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 Bohemian waxwing.   

The Sutton count is an official Audubon count (the 107th) 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.