Our mild December has many birds skipping migration and the proof is in the Christmas Bird Count.
The annual event tallied 19,464 birds, up almost 50 percent from last year's count of 13,759 and weather gets the credit.
"That's a huge factor in increase in numbers," said Chris Evans, president of the Brereton Field Naturalists' Club. "It's allowing many species to stay around which would otherwise have migrated further south."
Last year 133 Ring-Billed Gulls were spotted at the frozen Kempenfelt Bay but this year there were 3,264 at the open water.
About 60 Barrie volunteers hoisted binoculars in the Christmas Bird Count this year which took place Dec. 19.
The count covers a circle centred at Bradford Greenhouses and stretches to Minesing in the north, Angus to the west, just beyond Barrie city limits to the east and just south of Thornton.
The most unusual reported sighting was a Ruby-Crown Kinglet, not yet verified, common here during migration but may have stuck around due to the warm weather.
Rare gulls were documented including Little Gulls, the smallest gull in the world, Thayer's Gulls, and Black-Backed Gulls.
"This was a really unusual year for us to have these gulls," said Evans.
The data is entered into an audubon website which then goes into a huge international database to be used by scientists to study climate change and track trends
The first count was in 1900 with 26 people counting.
This year about 75,000 people participated North America wide.
"It's the largest and longest running citizen science project in the world," said Evans.
The Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority’s third annual Christmas Bird Count for Kids takes place this Sunday from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the Tiffin Centre for Conservation, 8195 8th Line, Utopia.
