Port Hope-Cobourg Christmas Bird Count 2020 The 50th Port Hope-Cobourg Christmas Bird Count was held on December 19, 2020. Thirty-three field observers and eleven feeder counters took part. In total, 19,711 birds of 81 species were counted. Six additional species were seen in count week. Weather on count day was good, with temperatures around freezing, complete overcast, and relatively light winds. American Woodcock was the only species added to the all time list. Five species were recorded in record high numbers: Red-bellied Woodpecker – 41 (previous high 38) Northern Flicker – 10 (previous high 9 Common Raven – 40 (previous high 22) Red-breasted Nuthatch – 95 (previous high 64) Carolina Wren – 3 (previous high 2) Only Bufflehead were found in record low numbers, with only 12 counted. Most winter finches were well represented. Pine Grosbeak – 7 Purple Finch – 41 Red Crossbill – 6 White-winged Crossbill – 180 Common Redpoll – 486 Pine Siskin – 130 American Goldfinch – 432 Surprisingly, Evening Grosbeaks were not encountered. They had been fairly common at feeders a few weeks before the count. Other highlights included: Greater White-fronted Goose – count week Snow Goose – 1 Northern Shoveler – 1 Black Scoter – 15 Turkey Vulture – count week Northern Goshawk – count week Peregrine Falcon – 1 “Thayer’s” Gull – 1 Snowy Owl – 1 Barred Owl – 3 Great Gray Owl – count week Northern Saw-whet Owl – 2 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 3 Winter Wren – 2 Eastern Bluebird – 43 Hermit Thrush – 2 Field Sparrow – 1 Harris’s Sparrow – 2 (adult and immature at the same feeder!) Roger Frost, Compiler