121st Audubon Christmas Bird Count Report for Midland-Penetanguishene On Saturday, December 19, 2020 the Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalist Club organized a Covid-safe bird count with 40 socially distanced volunteers divided up into 18 areas. The day was overcast in the morning with snow beginning just before lunch and continuing throughout the afternoon. Temperature was between -2C and +1C. The wind was calm with Georgian Bay open but inland waterways and bays were frozen over. *The day was successful with 52 different species seen with a total count of 4,160individual birds. The most since 2013.* You can view our count and the total count results from 1900 to the present at the Audubon website: http://netapp.audubon.org/CBCObservation/CurrentYear/ResultsByCount.aspx Count code ONWM *Record High Counts were established this year for Pileated Woodpeckers (14), White-throated Sparrows (2), Northern Cardinals (34), and White-breasted Nuthatches (66).* *Notable sightings on the count were 9 White-winged Scoters (not recorded since 2013), 2 Red-breasted Mergansers (not recorded since 2014), 7 White-winged Crossbills (not recorded since 2008) and 1 Double-crested Cormorant (not recorded since 2006). * We were not able to have our wrap up pot luck this year (we zoomed instead) but may do something in June to continue our annual support for the McKeever Owl Foundation. Thanks again to all who took part. Mark your calendars for next year Saturday December 18, 2021. Dave Schandlen CBC Coordinator Midland Penetanguishene Field Naturalist Club 358 Canada Goose 52 Trumpeter Swan 99 Mallard 11 American Black Duck 9 White-winged Scoter 45 Common Goldeneye 9 Hooded Merganser 14 Common Merganser 2 Red-breasted Merganser 7 duck sp. 1 Ring-necked Pheasant 83 Wild Turkey 615 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 337 Mourning Dove 35 Ring-billed Gull 3 Herring Gull 26 gull sp. 1 Double-crested Cormorant 1 Northern Harrier 2 Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 Cooper’s Hawk 1 Bald Eagle 8 Red-tailed Hawk 1 Rough-legged Hawk 1 hawk sp. 7 Red-bellied Woodpecker 7 Downy Woodpecker 29 Hairy Woodpecker 14 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Northern Shrike 231 Blue Jay 76 American Crow 7 Common Raven 639 Black-capped Chickadee 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet 11 Red-breasted Nuthatch 66 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Brown Creeper 702 European Starling 18 House Sparrow 26 Evening Grosbeak 30 Pine Grosbeak 121 Common Redpoll 7 White-winged Crossbill 197 American Goldfinch 90 Snow Bunting 49 American Tree Sparrow 42 Dark-eyed Junco 2 White-throated Sparrow 1 Song Sparrow 5 Common Grackle 34 Northern Cardinal 49 species & 3 other taxa 4,160 individual birds Count week species: Long-tailed Duck, Greater Scaup, Pied-billed Grebe, Wood Duck, Red-headed Woodpecker, Belted Kingfisher, Snowy Owl, American Kestrel