This male evening grosbeak was spotted during the bird count period. (Submitted photo/Linda Mikolayenko)

By Derek Cornet

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Annual bird count records 16 species in three-week period

Jan 13, 2022 | 12:11 PM

La Ronge continues to be a well-suited environment for a variety of species of birds.

That’s according to winter bird count coordinator John Schisler, who said the count period lasted from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5 with a bird count day occurring on Dec. 27. On count day, 15 different species of birds were observed, along with 455 individual birds.

“There was only one species that was seen that wasn’t on count day. All the other species were seen on count day,” Schisler said. “The Bohemian Waxwing were seen on Dec. 28 and were not included in the 15 species number.”

Common birds that can be observed in La Ronge this time of year include ravens, downy and hairy woodpeckers, gray jays and blue jays, magpies, boreal and black-capped chickadees, red-breasted and white-breasted nuthatches, evening and pine grosbeaks, as well as red poles. The number of red poles appears to be increasing in the tri-communities following a trend in the rest of Saskatchewan.

Schisler explained one particular bird, a dark-eyed junco, was also spotted. He noted the dark-eyed junco shouldn’t be in La Ronge during the winter and should of migrated in the fall.

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“The junco was an anomaly. They shouldn’t be here,” Schisler said. “He should have gone south, but he didn’t leave when his flock did, so I guess he’s hanging around a feeder. If he keeps getting food, he’s likely going to stay all winter.”

The number of magpies also seems to be increasing. Those birds began showing up in La Ronge around 2014 and eight were spotted on count day.

The tri-communities continues to be an ideal place for birds to migrate. During the summer months, at least 69 species of birds have been observed

“In March, we always see bald eagles, Canada geese, juncos, and some types of ducks start arriving,” Schisler said. “We are seeing more swans. We used to see very few swans and now their numbers are going up. There’s a pair that hangs around here.”

On count day, participants also checked for various species of animals and they observed red squirrels, otters, a coyote and they saw tracks from a red fox and jackrabbit.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @saskjourno