Nature Notes for November 28, 2014
The dramatic change in weather last week led to a
corresponding dramatic change in the bird species present in the area.
Rough-legged Hawks have arrived and can be found
hunting over farm fields. There must be a healthy population of meadow voles
this year, since several of these Arctic nesting hawks could be found this week
along Lakeshore Road between Port Hope and Wesleyville. As well, there were
several Northern Harriers in the same area. Both of these species feed mainly
on small rodents.
Snowy Owls are being reported in southern Ontario. A
couple have been seen at Presqu’ile Provincial Park and one was reported in
Cobourg Harbour. Owl researchers working on Bylot Island in the Canadian Arctic
last summer found record numbers of Snowy Owl nests there, so there may be an
influx of Snowy Owls into southern latitudes again this winter. They predict
that they will not be quite as numerous as last winter, since the birds have to
travel much further to reach us. Last winter’s Snowys were thought to have
hatched in Northern Quebec, still quite far north, but considerably further
south than Bylot Island.
Snowy Owls are being seen in Northumberland County this November.
Photo © Rob Lonsberry Photography
Pine Siskin, a small finch of the Boreal forest,
have been mobbing local feeders. Last Sunday (Nov. 23), I had 60 at my feeder.
Other feeder operators have reported similar numbers. Keeping them in niger
seed has stretched everyone’s bird seed budget.
So far, there have been only two local reports of
Common Redpoll. This small finch breeds further north, above the tree line.
They may arrive in numbers later in the winter.
Both Pine Siskin and Common Redpoll are irruptive
species. That is, they don’t migrate regularly, but turn up in southern Canada
in years when the seed crop in the north does not provide enough winter food.
Although southern Ontario’s summer 2014 was wet, in the west it was very dry.
Remember all those forest fires? The western Boreal forest did not have a good
seed crop this year, so the finches will have to move in order to survive.
There have been several reports of Evening Grosbeaks
in Northumberland, but in small numbers. One White-winged Crossbill briefly
visited my feeder a couple of weeks ago. Perhaps we may see Red Crossbills and
Pine Grosbeaks, too, before the winter is out. Time will tell whether these
finches will visit us in numbers.
Wild weather often blows unusual species out of
range. As I write this, a Townsend’s Solitaire is being seen just north of RiceLake, along the boundary road between Northumberland and Peterborough Counties.
This species breeds in the mountains of British Columbia, Yukon Territory and
Alaska, but once in a while one wanders east. The bird is being seen on both
the north and south sides of the road, so will probably appear in the bird
records of both counties.
By the time of my next column, two of the three
Northumberland County Christmas Bird Counts will have taken place. Christmas
Bird Counts are held throughout North America. In Canada, they are coordinated
by Bird Studies Canada and in the U.S. by the Audubon Society. The
Presqu’ile-Brighton Count takes place on December 14, Port Hope-Cobourg on
December 20 and Rice Lake Plains on January 1, 2015. For more information about
Christmas Bird Counts, go to www.bsc-eoc.org/national/cbcmain.html
