Mattawa Christmas Bird Count

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Mattawa is the newest of the Christmas Bird Counts to be held in this area. It is currently in its fifth year and is very capably administered by former  North Bay-ite Keith Dillabough.
 
With but three field observers and 11 feeder watchers it may still need more participants to become fully mobilized.

But, it did manage a very interesting result. It, combined now with over 2,000 other similar counts throughout North America (and a few more in Central and South America) helps to develop a very useful comparison of the trends in bird populations within the hemisphere. Since this same Christmas-time count has been taking place every year since 1900, one can appreciate just how valuable the overall information can be for expert analysis.

At Mattawa , with the open waters of the grand Ottawa River being among the most northerly where that phenomenon occurs annually, at that time of year, regardless of  freezing weather,  some observations are usually unique within the province.

For example, over 100 Common Goldeneyes were observed, as well as some “puddle ducks”, such as a normally rare at any time of the year in that area, Northern Pintail.  Ten Black Ducks and two Mallards, even one Common Loon was still around, while an adult Bald Eagle helped to instill some special excitement.

Sixteen Mourning Doves, Ten Gray Jays and over 70 Blue Jays showed up, along with 38 Red-breasted Nuthatches, one Tree Sparrow, 30 Snow Buntings, 46 American Goldfinch, 35  Evening Grosbeaks, 10 Pine Grosbeaks and 80 Pine Siskins.  All in all 22 species were observed.

 Interestingly, perhaps, no Pileated Woodpeckers, nor Common Redpolls appeared in the 15 mile diameter circle, among the over 750 birds noted.