Thanks to all those who participated in the count. We had a good count of individual birds of 99,159 and an impressive number of species seen – 100 equals the 3rd highest species count while the 10 year average count is 95. 2005 is the 2nd best total count after the 106,444 birds counted in 1981 but this count included 73,000 Starlings. The 3rd best count of 99,111 in 2002 had 19,000 Starlings and 6,000 American Crows.

Unfortunately this year no other species were seen in count week but we added a new species to the count – Turkey Vulture by Lois Evans and Hazel Broker. This brings our cumulative total to 181 species.

The Hamilton count is conducted in a 24 kilometre diameter circle centered at Dundurn Castle.

Conditions on the day were favourable with light winds early on and temperatures around the freezing mark. Most creeks and lakes were free of ice. The winds picked up slightly as the day progressed and we had some snow flurries which didn’t last very long. The afternoon seemed brighter with the sun threatening but failed to make an appearance.

The count statistics are as follows:
Counters in the field – 73
Feeder watchers – 14
Owling Parties – 8
Total participants – 87
Number of hours feeder watching – 68.33
Number of hours owling- 18.00
Number of hours walking – 162.33
Number of hours of daytime driving – 83.54
Total party hours – 332.2
Distance driven – 1,384 km
Distance walked owling – 2.5 km
Distance walked daytime – 230.5 km
Total party distance – 1,617 km

The individual species count is as follows:
(Average refers to average count over the last ten years)

Insert Bird Count Table here.

There were 10 Bald Eagles reported, but looking at the area and reported times, I determined the number to be 5 individuals.

Our final count of 6 Peregrine Falcons was as follows: 2 were noted downtown and an additional 4 were reported by our CBC counters in the field.

The CBC 2005 count of the 1 Blue-winged Teal by Stu Mackenzie was the first sighting since 2 in 1971 and 3 in 1967.

The CBC 2005 count of the 1 Barrow’s Goldeneye by Jim Bram, Bill Smith and Jim and Neil Taylor was the 5th record with singles in 2002 as well as in the consecutive years 1980 to 1982.

The CBC 2005 count of 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull by Rob Dobos equals the sightings in 2004, 2001 and 1998.

Low counts this year were for Green-winged Teal, Glaucous Gull, American Crow, Brown Creeper, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, and Pine Siskin.

2005 Participants:
Soren Anderson, Christine Bishop, Barrie Boatman, Laurel Boatman, Mary Booker, Peter Booker, Mike Boyd, Carla Brechin, Hazel Broker, Fran Bullock, Wayne Bullock, Albert Butwick, Joan Campbell, Sue Carson, Melanie Cave, Jerry Chapple, Nina Chapple, Stephen Cheesman, Michael Clark, Jim Cram, Mark Cranford, Tim Cranford, Bill Crins, Tom Crooks, Martin Daly, Jeni Darling, Sandy Darling, Floyd Deiter, Edward Dinniwell, Rob Dobos, Dave Don, Jim Dowall, Brian Drown, Janice Drown, Ernest Dunston, Bernard Dutka, Helen Dutka, Cheryl Edgecombe, Kathy Evans, Lois Evans, Russ Evans, Mike Grey, Kyna Intini, Mark Jennings, Jean Johnson, Ian Jolliffe, Graham Jones, Shirley Klement, Bill Lamond, Deborah Lindeman, Rick Ludkin, Bruce Mackenzie, Stuart Mackenzie, Arlene McCaw, Jim McCaw, Kevin McLaughlin, Angie McNulty, Gord McNulty, John Miles, John Milton, Brian Mishell, Dolores Mishell, Frank Morley, George Naylor, Daphne Payne, Cynthia Pekarik, Rose Petersen, Dennis Price, Bill Read, David Restivo, Orv Reynolds, Alfred Senior, Elaine Serena, Bill Smith, Bob Stamp, Alison Street, Carol Street, Mike Street, Ruth Summers, Neil Taylor, George Thomas, Tom Thomas, Margaret Troy, Rob Waldhuber, Ross Wood, Brian Wylie, Dan Wylie

Compiled by: Tom Thomas