Hamilton Fall Bird Count 2006
by Bill Lamond

The 33rd annual Hamilton Fall Bird Count (HFBC) was conducted on 5 November 2006. This was one of the most outstanding counts of them all, if not the most outstanding. A record total of 147 species were recorded which is three species above the all-time high of 144 set in 2002. There were three new species added this year which is striking for a count in its 33rd year. These were: Cattle Egret seen by Rick Dowson, Barry Jones and George Pond along Hwy #6 north of Hewitt's Dairy; Varied Thrush seen by Dennis Lewington and Gary Hamann along the Dofasco Trail between 2nd & 3rd Rd E; and the long-staying Yellow-throated Warbler seen by Mark Jennings and Dan Olech at the base of the Petro-Canada Pier in Bronte. It was most unfortunate that the Eastern Kingbird that was hanging around at this latter location from 31 October to 4 Nov did not spend another day and be recorded on the fall count. Had it been recorded, it may have been the most unlikely bird thus far recorded on a fall count. Nonetheless, it gets listed as a "count period" bird for this count.

There were several "significant species" seen on this year's count. As stated in Birds of Hamilton, species seen on 20% or fewer fall counts (six counts) are considered "significant species" for the HFBC and 11 of these species were seen in 2006. Through the years, some species will be added to this list and others will be dropped based on their changing status in the Hamilton area. Other than the new birds listed above, the other "significant species" seen in 2006 were Sora and Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow (2nd count records), Common Raven (3rd count record-now 3 years in a row and likely to become regular), White-eyed Vireo and Bay-breasted Warbler (4th count records), Green Heron (5th count record and first since 1991), and American Redstart and Pomarine Jaeger (5th count records). Other good records on the count include the 7th count records of Lesser Black-backed Gull and Northern Rough-winged Swallow, 8th count records for American Golden Plover (first record since 1988) and Black-legged Kittiwake, 9th count records of Harlequin Duck, House Wren and Lincoln's Sparrow, and 10th count records of Golden Eagle and Tree Swallow. Other interesting sightings were Brant, Osprey, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Phoebe, Blue-headed Vireo, Brown Thrasher and Savannah Sparrow. It was also nice to see better than average numbers for Eastern Towhee and Eastern Meadowlark.

The weather on this years count was good for bird counting: No precipitation and moderate winds. Temperatures were seasonal and the day was largely 100% overcast. The only downside to the day were the SW winds which precluded any notable hawk flight. Usually this would also produce poor conditions for "pelagics" at Lake Ontario however we nonetheless recorded kittiwake and Pomarine Jaeger.

There were 14 species tallied this year in record-high numbers, three of these being ducks. Additionally several species of ducks were recorded in above-average numbers. For example all three scoters were abundant with Black Scoter numbers at record levels. Encouragingly, Canvasback were at record levels although these numbers are modest compared to other ducks. Most notable were Long-tailed Duck (Oldsquaw) numbers. Bill Crins, Barb Charlton & Ron Pittaway at Van Wagners Beach reported 100,000+ Oldsquaw! This is about double the previous high estimate in 2001. Now admittedly there has to be a great variance in estimates like this. These ducks are at a great distance and appear like an "oil slick" towards the horizon. How many there are is anybodies guess (or estimate if you will), but 100,000+ seems reasonable and I credit these bird counters for making the attempt. The Oldsquaw total is roughly 40% of all the birds seen on the count.

Turkey Vulture numbers were at levels 42% higher than on any previous count. One party reported an amazing 81 Turkey Vultures. This is an incredible number for this date but speaks to the rapid rise in Ontario Turkey Vulture numbers. The numbers of Red-bellied Woodpeckers this year, at 84, is 115% higher than the previous high count of 39 in 2002. This species is essentially as common now as the Hairy Woodpecker (which was also seen in record numbers in 2006) and may become more common than Hairy Woodpecker in the next few years if it isn't already. Similarly the Pileated Woodpecker was at record levels this year with 12 individuals observed.

Northern Mockingbirds continue to increase in the HSA as a record 70 individuals were seen this year. However, this species range in the HSA is uneven. It is still a very uncommon breeder in the Brantford area and the Six Nations I.R. Other species seen in near record-high numbers this year include Common Goldeneye, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Swamp Sparrow and House Sparrow. The House Sparrow count was interesting as this species is purported to be undergoing a decline in North America, including Ontario. However one cannot read too much into the count results, as "party hours" may be a factor in this. The "party hours" total this year was an all-time record at 379.7 hours. This is no doubt due to the near-record number of participants this year (117) and the record number of parties (56) plus the good weather from dawn to dusk which encouraged people to stay in the field. Thus with an increased count effort this year, it is not surprising that some species would be at record levels. Numbers of species such as Black-capped Chickadee and perhaps House Sparrow would be very sensitive to any change in "party hours".

Of course there are always negatives on all counts but there were few on this count. Misses included Red-shouldered Hawk and Tufted Titmouse. The miss of the Red-shoulder was not surprising as it was not a hawk-flight day. The Tufted Titmouse is kind of perplexing in the HSA. It seems that at times it becomes common enough that it is poised to finally colonize the region, but then it fades away. It may be years before it is ever common in the HSA. Other negatives on the count include the low Ruffed Grouse total (1!) and Ring-necked Pheasant total (1). The Ruffed Grouse is really in decline in our count circle although it is still easy enough to hear drumming in the spring in the Beverly Swamp area. Now, it seems hard to believe that the 1983 fall count recorded 41 Ruffed Grouse!

Lastly I would like to dedicate the 2006 HFBC to the memory of Bruce Duncan who died on 11 Nov 2006 from complications of a tragic car crash the previous day. Bruce was a great supporter of the natural world. He is eulogized elsewhere in this issue, but I thought I would point out that he was a great supporter of the fall bird count. Bruce was the compiler of the count for 8 years and had participated on 21 counts including this year's count. Even with his busy workload as the General Manager of the Hamilton Conservation Authority and commitments to his young family, he always had time to do the count whenever I asked him each year. His accident was of a type that a fraction of a second would have made the difference between life and death and is something that could have happened to any one of us. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to his wife Janet and the two children, James and Katie.

2006 RESULTS

Area Covered: Selected areas within a 40.2km radius of Dundurn Castle, Hamilton, Ontario (Hamilton Study Area-HSA) including: the Lake Ontario shoreline from Port Credit to Beamsville; the Conservation Areas of Berry, Binbrook, Burns, Christie, Felker's Falls, Fifty Point, Mountsberg, Valens, Dundas Valley, and Spencer Gorge; Islay, Puslinch, Mohawk and Dunmark Lakes; Scotch Block Reservoir; Cootes Paradise; Woodland & Holy Sepulcher Cemeteries; Kings Forest; Esquesing and Frank Tracts; Bronte, Rattray, Middletown and Van Wagners Marshes; Vanderliek Farm Pond; Courtcliff Park; Rock Chapel Sanctuary; Waterworks Park; Joe Sams Park; Shell Park; Green Lane Wetland; Brantford and Tom Howe (Hagersville) Landfills; Six Nations I.R.; Beverly Swamp; Hamilton Harbour; Windermere Basin; Mill, Milton Town & Tollgate Ponds; Smithville, Grimsby and Cainsville Sewage Ponds; Borers, Spring Valley, Stoney, Bronte, and Oakville Creek ravines; Red Hill, Dundas and Hendrie Valleys; and the Grand River from Cayuga to Cambridge.

Sunday, November 5, 2006: 12:00am-1:00am, 3:15am-5:30pm. Weather: Temperature 0-2 C at dawn to a high varying from 9 -12 C. 100% overcast in the am with some sun later in the day. No precipitation. Visibility at Lake Ontario good. Winds very light at dawn, increasing to 15km/hr from the SW in the afternoon. 117 observers in 56 parties. Total party hours: 379.7.

Species: Underlined totals represent record-high numbers, except when indicated as record-low. Numbers in brackets following underlined totals give the previous high (or low) count and the year(s). Underlined species require documentation for the Hamilton Bird Records Committee either as date or geographic rarities (see Date Guide to the Birds of the Hamilton Area).

Snow Goose 7; Brant 4; Canada Goose 12,331; Mute Swan 161; Trumpeter Swan 33 (25-04) (not in official total); Tundra Swan 125; Wood Duck 68; Gadwall 424; American Wigeon 83; American Black Duck 428; Mallard 4,966; Blue-winged Teal 1; Northern Shoveler 78; Northern Pintail 38; Green-winged Teal 456; Canvasback 236 (220-99); Redhead 109; Ring-necked Duck 754; Lesser Scaup 3,283; Greater Scaup 5,232; Harlequin Duck 1; Surf Scoter 310; White-winged Scoter 972; Black Scoter 398 (325-02); Oldsquaw (Long-tailed Duck) 102,837 (55,491-01); Bufflehead 1,468; Common Goldeneye 4,080; Hooded Merganser 279; Common Merganser 376; Red-breasted Merganser 2,518; Ruddy Duck 587; Ring-necked Pheasant 1; Ruffed Grouse 1 (low) (1-92,01,04); Wild Turkey 47 (33-05); Red-throated Loon 2; Common Loon 44; Pied-billed Grebe 9; Horned Grebe 18; Red-necked Grebe 102; Double-crested Cormorant 400; Great Blue Heron 76; Cattle Egret 1 (BJ,GP,RDow); Green Heron 1 (CM,GMcN); Black-crowned Night-Heron 3; Turkey Vulture 121 (85-97); Osprey 1; Bald Eagle 4 (4-96,05); Northern Harrier 42; Sharp-shinned Hawk 29; Cooper's Hawk 18; Northern Goshawk 2; Red-tailed Hawk 415; Rough-legged Hawk 7; Golden Eagle 1; American Kestrel 45; Merlin 6; Peregrine Falcon 4; Sora 1 (BCu,ES,GS,AM,JM); American Coot 498; Black-bellied Plover 4; American Golden-Plover 1; Killdeer 31; Greater Yellowlegs 11; Lesser Yellowlegs 1; Dunlin 84; Wilson's Snipe 4; American Woodcock 6; Pomarine Jaeger 1; Bonaparte's Gull 45; Ring-billed Gull 12,502; Herring Gull 1,814; Lesser Black-backed Gull 2; Great Black-backed Gull 44; Black-legged Kittiwake 2 (2-02,04); Rock Pigeon 3,106 (2,572-91); Mourning Dove 2,662; Eastern Screech-Owl 17; Great Horned Owl 17; Long-eared Owl 6; Northern Saw-whet Owl 1; Belted Kingfisher 28; Red-bellied Woodpecker 84 (39-02); Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2 (2-75,78,82); Downy Woodpecker 325; Hairy Woodpecker 81 (79-99); Northern Flicker 38; Pileated Woodpecker 12 (10-00,04); Eastern Phoebe 6; Northern Shrike 9; White-eyed Vireo 1 (BCu,GS,ES,JM,AM); Blue-headed Vireo 4 (4-75); Blue Jay 1,307; American Crow 1,275; Common Raven 2 (BMcI,IMcI,GD); Horned Lark 164; Tree Swallow 120; Northern Rough-winged Swallow 6; Black-capped Chickadee 2,209; Red-breasted Nuthatch 42; White-breasted Nuthatch 254; Brown Creeper 66; Carolina Wren 35; House Wren 1; Winter Wren 23; Golden-crowned Kinglet 550; Ruby-crowned Kinglet 129; Eastern Bluebird 202; Hermit Thrush 61; American Robin 2,039; Varied Thrush 1 (DL,GH); Gray Catbird 3; Northern Mockingbird 70 (67-00); Brown Thrasher 1; European Starling 39,941; American Pipit 143; Cedar Waxwing 1,619; Orange-crowned Warbler 2; Yellow-rumped Warbler 41; Yellow-throated Warbler 1 (MJ,DO); Bay-breasted Warbler 1 (AD,HC); American Redstart 1; Common Yellowthroat 3; Eastern Towhee 5; American Tree Sparrow 1,257; Chipping Sparrow 12; Field Sparrow 1; Savannah Sparrow 1; Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow 2 (RDob,CE); Fox Sparrow 120; Song Sparrow 210; Lincoln's Sparrow 1; Swamp Sparrow 61; White-throated Sparrow 360; White-crowned Sparrow 38; Dark-eyed Junco 2,353; Lapland Longspur 2; Snow Bunting 112; Northern Cardinal 649; Red-winged Blackbird 9,352; Eastern Meadowlark 14; Rusty Blackbird 199; Common Grackle 347; Brown-headed Cowbird 69; Purple Finch 6; House Finch 561; Pine Siskin 1; American Goldfinch 1,205; House Sparrow 2,697.

Totals: 147 species; 235,439 individuals.

Count Period Birds (seen day before or day after count but not on count day): Sandhill Crane, Eastern Kingbird (MJ, many observers), Black-throated Blue Warbler.

Observers: Brian Ahara, Don Barnet, Glenn Barrett, Kim Barrett, Glenn Barnett, John Black, Peter Booker, Hazel Broker, Jacob Bruxer, Jim Burrell, Ken Burrell, Mike Burrell, Jerry Chapple, Nina Chapple, Barb Charlton, Michael Clark, Jim Cram, Mark Cranford, Bill Crins, Tom Crooks, Hugh Currie, Bob Curry, Donna DeBruin, Marco DeBruin, Rob Dobos, Gerry Doekes, Andrew Don, Dave Don, Jim Dowall, Rick Dowson, Bruce Duncan, Cheryl Edgecombe, Gavin Edmonstone, Lois Evans, Luke Fazio, Denys Gardiner, Sharon Gardiner, Fraser Gibson, Alex Gray, Jerry Guenther, Debbie Hamann, Gary Hamann, Andy Hampton, John Hannah, Brandon Holden, Sue Holden, Frank Horvath, Sandra Horvath, Larry Hubble, Mark Jennings, Barry Jones, John Keenleyside, Tim King, Bev Kingdon, Shirley Klement, Manfred Kolster, Ursula Kolster, Bill Lamond (Compiler), Joyce Lechasseur, Dennis Lewington, Gwen Lewington, Rick Ludkin, Ron Luft, Bruce Mackenzie, Laurie Mackenzie, Arlene McCaw, Jim McCaw, Bill McIlveen, Irene McIlveen, Grant McGovern, Ian McGovern, Kevin McLaughlin, Don McLean, Charlene McNaughton, Gerard McNaughton, Dolores Mishell, Brian Mishell, George Naylor, Glenn Mockford, Brad Novoselac, Owen Novoselac, Rick O'Connell, Dan Olech, Rose Petersen, Ron Pittaway, Brian Pomfret, George Pond, Jim Pringle, Lauren Rae, Kayo Roy, Elaine Serena, Donna Sheppard, Bill Siverns, Glenda Slessor, Anna-Marie Smith, Bill Smith, Ian Smith, Nancy Smith, Paul Smith, Heidi Staniforth, Larry Staniforth, Mike Street, John Struger, Neil Taylor, Tom Thomas, Marina van Twest, Rohan van Twest, Theo van Twest, Rob Waldhuber, Jim Watt, Reinder Westerhoff, Angie Williams, Ken Williams, Don Wills, Bill Wilson, Heather Wilson, Brian Wylie. (Hamilton Naturalists' Club, Kitchener-Waterloo Field Naturalists, South-Peel Naturalists' Club, Guelph Field Naturalists).

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