Ah, 2020, the year of the global pandemic and the year of some of the more interesting birding I have personally done. But, I will touch up on that in my "year-end view" I'll do in 2021 (hopefully the year of the cure).
The last solace of 2020 is the amazing irruption of finches that have bombarded the Eastern Seaboard all the way down to Florida believe it or not. This has been my year to see some of those tricky birds that have been seen by other birders when their populations were much higher down here including both species of Crossbill.
To really talk about the finch irruption let's take a trip back to September of this year. Looking at a chronological timeline this isn't that long ago, just over 90 days which in hindsight isn't long at all. This is when we started seeing birds like Purple Finch in mind-boggling numbers, and quite early in the year. Then we move on to Pine Siskin and Evening Grosbeak in October, crazy large flocks of around 1,000 grosbeaks flying past Hawk Cliff in Elgin County. Now, we land here in November with accounts of Hoary & Common Redpoll, Pine Grosbeak, and White-winged & Red Crossbills.
With the eruption, I have been able to reap the spoils here in Haldimand County with some of the first documented records of White-winged Crossbill since 2017 where our very own Rick Ludkin reported one out of Ruthven Park, and another one of the first records (to my knowledge) of Red Crossbill since 1985! That is 35 years! And of course, these are both lifers for me! I am now 2 species away from 275 birds seen in Ontario and also 2 birds away from 230 species seen in Haldimand County (if they both happen simultaneously I won't be sad about it).
These 2 recent sightings along with a pair of non-lifers but 2 very overdue year birds: Snow Bunting and Common Redpoll, bring my total for the year up to 259 birds! So close to 260 I can almost taste it! By the end of the year, I can shoot to nab birds in the likes of Saw-whet and Long-eared Owls, possibly a Pine Grosbeak if I try hard enough, and hopefully some other wintery birds like Barrow's Goldeneye, Harlequin Duck, and maybe even a Goshawk.
Until next time guys, enjoy a couple photos I got today in my outing to Selkirk Prov. Park!
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| American Tree Sparrows are back and it seems like just yesterday I was counting them in the small pines on my family's property. |
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| We had a little staring contest, and I think since my shutter went off it won. |
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| Buffleheads like this female take the Lake Erie shoreline by storm in the winter, always nice to see one of our smallest ducks hanging around. |
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