[Ontbirds]Mattawa Christmas Bird count - Red Crossbills

[richardtafel]

All;
    Under the direction of new co-ordinator Keith Dillabough, Mattawa
produced some especially interesting birds during its second annual
Christmas count on Sat. the 15th.
    Some 50 Red Crossbills were found eating heavily of an apparently
abundant Red Pine cone crop along the Papineau Lake Road, due south of town.
This  is one of the largest flocks of this species seen in this area.
    Other species found on the open, Upper  Ottawa river were 17 Common
Goldeneye, three Bald Eagles, and a pair of both Hooded and Common
Mergansers. An adult and juvenile Great Black-backed Gull rounded out an
interesting count during the coldest day of the winter which started off at
minus 25 degrees C. (with strong winds!).
    Pine Grosbeaks and Common Redpolls were abundant.! All local lakes and
even the Mattawa River are now frozen solid.
    Mattawa is some 40  miles due east of North Bay, which in turn is 3
stop-lights north of Toronto.
            Yours etc.  Dick Tafel