CBC's soon!

So it's that time of year, time for the Christmas Bird Counts (CBC) to be starting up again. This year I m planning on taking part of at leased 3 CBC's, two of which are this coming weekend. This Saturday, is the CBC for Lambton Wildlife (LWI), in the Pinery. I have taken part with this count for the past 5+ year. For the past few years, myself and the "Junior Conservationists" of LWI, got up early to go owling in the park with Larry Cornelis. Most years we have gotten both Great-Horned and Eastern Screech-Owls responding to call-back early in the morning. So that should be fun!

This Sunday I am participating in a CBC that I have never done before, its the Blue Water Audubon Society CBC. I am fairly excited to take part in this one, and I hope that it turns out well. The section I will be doing is western Sarnia, north of Churchill Line. I will be doing it with my Dad, and Chris and Janette Davidson. It is going to be a fun day!

The third CBC I was planning on doing is on the 27th, its for the Sydenham Field Naturalists. Last year was the first time I took part in it. It was really fun last year, and we saw lots. Some of the coolest birds we saw were 3 Long-eared Owls, and 2 Short-eared Owls. The Short-eared Owls were Lifers for me so I was extremely Excited about them! I suspect it will be a lot of fun again this year!


Also, yesterday I went to Forest Sewage Lagoons yesterday. These Lagoons are very good in my mind, and not very well known, I had just started going to them this year. While I was there, there were hundreds on Canada Geese, which ended up getting spooked, and picked up. But in that flock, I was able to pick out 2 Cackling Geese (the mini Canada's), before they took off. Also, as I was walking along the ditch there, I heard a little high pitched buzzy "tisp" call. I recognised the call because I hear many at the lagoons during the summer, but I just couldn't place it. But after a minute of looking, it got scared up out of the cover. It was a Savannah Sparrow! Never did I expect to find a Savannah Sparrow, in Ontario, in December. Definitely the latest in the season I have ever seen this species.

Good Birding!