The South Peel Naturalists’ Club held their 58th consecutivecount on Saturday December 19, with 35 participants socially distanced from Bronteto Port Credit and north to almost Derry Road in Oakville and Mississauga. Weshould work at it, but we also supplemented our list with a dozen feederwatchers. Weather was overcast, mild with light winds and only a touch of sleetlater in the day.
Preliminary results produced 85 species with approximately26000 individuals. We added two newspecies to the cumulative list – Fish Crow and Northern Parula bringing the grandtotal to 181 species. The expected FishCrows (a pair) were from Lakeside Park between Southdown Road and Winston ChurchillBlvd. 2 Northern Parula continue at thewell frequented site at Sedgewick Park in Oakville. Other highlights from the count includedRed-shouldered Hawk near Huron Park in Mississauga, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckernear Appleby College in Oakville and Gray Catbird near Lakeside Park in Mississauga. Count week added 6 additional species TuftedTitmouse (photographed on Sawmill Trail near Erindale College Dec 18), Short-earedOwl, Turkey Vulture, Red-necked Grebe, Iceland Gull and Common Loon.
Mark Cranford
ONPH compiler
South Peel Naturalists’ Club