78TH ANNUAL SASKATCHEWAN CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT - 2019 Alan R. Smith 14 cm). As can be seen, there was nine birds on nine counts compared Box 154 little difference in these conditions to only three on three counts in Avonlea SK S0H 0C0 from last year. One difference, 2018-19.
[email protected] however, was the prevalence of fog. After decades of growth, the Fog was reported on seven counts range expansion for the introduced The Counts this year as opposed to three last Eurasian Collared-Dove and House Only 74 counts were received year. Finch has come nearly to a halt. The for the 2019-20 count, a most This may have hampered only new CBC localities were Love- concerning decline over last year’s observers especially in the early Torch River for the dove and Estuary 86 and the fewest since 1984. There morning hours. North for the finch. are a number of possible reasons Numbers of the subarctic-nesting for this. Human demographics may The Birds Common Redpoll were down again play a role as aging rural populations The 126,813 birds counted was with only 557 birds on 27 counts and increasing urbanization mean higher than last winter’s 108,164 compared to 3,412 birds on 55 that fewer ’ma and pa’ counts are and slightly higher than the century counts in 2018-19 and 14,307 on 78 conducted in the hinterland. On the average of 125,000. This is partly counts in 2017-18. other hand, more and more people due to a record high count of 33,735 Numbers of most other finches are involved in a fewer number of Canada Geese on the Estevan count.