By Paul Pratt
A Christmas Bird Count is a great way to spend the start of a new year. Michigan’s Detroit River Christmas Bird Count includes a small portion on the Canadian side of the river including the parks that make up the Ojibway Prairie Complex. On New Year’s Day there were 24 participants covering Ojibway and the river downstream from Lauzon Road to the north end of Fighting Island. 51 species were recorded this year with the highlight being a Baltimore Oriole, only the second record for this count. The very mild weather kept waterfowl away from normal winter concentration sites and very dispersed this year.
Summary:
Canada Goose 474, Mute Swan 12, Mallard 88, Canvasback 76, Redhead 58, Ring-necked Duck 14, Greater Scaup 29, Bufflehead 9, Common Goldeneye 36, Hooded Merganser 4, Common Merganser 64, Ring-necked Pheasant 1, Wild Turkey 42, Great Blue Heron 2, Bald Eagle 2, Cooper’s Hawk 4, Red-tailed Hawk 8, Bonaparte’s Gull 15, Ring-billed Gull 190, Herring Gull 23, Great Black-backed Gull 1, Rock Pigeon 826, Mourning Dove 176, Belted Kingfisher 1, Red-bellied Woodpecker 23, Downy Woodpecker 42, Hairy Woodpecker 2, American Kestrel 2, Merlin 1, Peregrine Falcon 3, Blue Jay 111, Black-capped Chickadee 36, Tufted Titmouse 14, White-breasted Nuthatch 46, Brown Creeper 3, Winter Wren 3, Carolina Wren 12, Eastern Bluebird 3, American Robin 6, European Starling 178, American Tree Sparrow 9, Song Sparrow 9, Swamp Sparrow 1, White-throated Sparrow 8, White-crowned Sparrow 5, Dark-eyed Junco 102, Northern Cardinal 142, Baltimore Oriole 1, House Finch 68, American Goldfinch 89, House Sparrow 334.
Participants: Kevin Baker, Michelle Bondy, Pat Bondy, Karen Cedar, Leia Cedar, Paul Desjardins, Susan Ellis, Larry Evon, Wren Evon, Hazel Evon, Violet Evon, Kristen Fawdry, JoAnn Grondin, Shirley Grondin, Claire Kenno, Theresa LaMire, Cathy Lesperance, Carl Maiolani, Claire McAllister, Paula O’Rourke, Paul Pratt, Kory Renaud, Dianne Rodrigues, Jim Rodrigues, Ian Woodfield.