Christmas Bird Count: Rain Doesn’t Deter Frontenac Birders

Jeff Green | Dec 18, 2019

Christmas Bird Counts are running this month across North America, just as they have every year since 1900.

Each Christmas Bird Count is conducted on a single day between December 14 and January 5. Counts are carried out within a 24-km diameter circle that stays the same from year to year. They are organized, usually as group efforts, at the local level, often by a birding club or naturalist organization.

The Frontenac count encompasses Frontenac Park and reaches the outskirts of Inverary, and downtown Sydenham, Harrowsmith, Verona as well as the Godfrey area. Carolyn Bonta co-ordinates the count, which took place last Saturday (December 14) on a rainy and windy day.

“We did have a few less people come out as compared to last year. We had 30 in the field and 6 more watching bird feeders. At least partly because of the rain, there were a few less birds identified, but there were some pleasant and exciting surprises,” she said when contacted on Tuesday (December 17)

One of the unusual sightings was at the Verona dump, where two Icelandic Gulls were seen. Another woodpeckers that Carolyn sent a couple of very active septuagenarian birders 17 kilometres towards the northeast corner of the park to find.

“They saw three red-headed woodpeckers, which are an endangered species that has been making a comeback in our region in recent years,” said Bonta.

She did not send the couple out that far without reason, however. The woodpeckers do occasionally overwinter and Carolyn had seen red headed woodpeckers gathering acorns in the park, which they wouldn’t be doing if the were about to leave. She had seen one as late as November 30.

“I sent crews to two areas where red-headed woodpeckers have been seen, and one crew saw nothing but the couple that went out to the northeast corner of the Park saw three of them. It’s pretty esciting to confirm that not only are they back, but that some of them are over-wintering as well.”

The Red-headed woodpecker has been classed as a Species of Special Concern under the Ontario Species at Risk Act sine 2008, due to habitat loss. They often nest in dead trees so forestry and agriculture are the main drivers of habitat loss affecting the species, which has declined by 60% over the last 20 years.

The Frontenac count took place on the first day of the Christmas Bird Count, and there are other local opportunities for experienced and fledgling birders throughout the season. There is a Moscow count, whose territory overlaps with the Frontenac county near Verona. It takes place on December 28 and the co-ordinator is Bonnie Bailey, who can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. And on January 5th, the last day of the season, the Sharbot Lake count takes place. The co-ordinator for Sharbot Lake is Andrew Keaveney, who can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

“One of the great things about the Christmas Bird Counts is the opportunity for people who have little or no experience in birding to be shown how to look and listen and how to identify species in a friendly way. There is often a social gathering at the end of the day,” said Carolyn Bonta

You might say, but shouldn’t, that experienced birders take newbies under their wing at Christmas Bird Counts.