Hudson Christmas Bird Count (Route 2) 2021

This is probably the 20th year that J and I have done the annual Christmas Bird Count centred on Hudson, and all but the first year we have censused the same route. It’s unusual in that there is far more driving than walking – not a bad thing at -7C which was actually warmer than many years. On the other hand, although the birding can be hard and you need to charm them from wherever they are sheltering there is good mixed habitat to have fun in – a residential area, a wooded rural road with horse farms and then a huge expanse of low, flat treeless land which very much what the winter birds such as Snowy Owls look for and so, if they are there we have of finding the.

We did have the usual back ground birds such as Dark-eyed Juncos and Blue Jays and Pigeons but this year we struck lucky with Horned Larks, Snow Buntings and a single Snowy Owl. The latter far out across a field and half hidden on the roof of a small shed … but it was there. The Winter Trifecta.

Snow Buntings

The last photograph shows the location of the Snow Buntings – there are maybe 30 birds well camouflaged on the ground there 🙂 … it also shows how’s open and exposed the site is

** A comment on electric cars. This was the first year since we bought our EV that we have done the CBC and it was remarkable how we could slowly and silently sneak up on Snow Buntings and Horned Larks without them really noticing we were there – something that has always been impossible in an internal combustion engine car. Without a doubt, EV’s are made for birding.