Cold weather conditions didn't deter birdwatchers from participating in the 122nd Audubon Christmas Bird Count on December 18.
Up from last year, this year 26 birders participated in the count and covered a 24-kilometer diameter circle around Vermilion.
"We had 12 feeder watchers and 14 field observers and this year some of the big flock species made an appearance, like Snow Buntings, Bohemian Waxwings and Common Redpolls,” commented Iris Davies.
According to Davies, there are quite a few birds who don't migrate each year such as Black-Capped Chickadees, all woodpeckers, etc.
"We have birds from up north that actually come down here, like Snowy Owls and Red Polls and they consider that as migrating, we are like their winter vacation area, so keep your feeders full, the birds that belong here will be really grateful," Davies said with a chuckle.
Davies noted that so far they counted 26 species and there were 3826 individuals seen. Last year the group recorded 26 species with a total of 1,282 individual birds.
“Our best year was in 2015 with 41 species and 4,348 individual birds," said Davies.