The Montague counters have again established a new record number of species for
the P.E.I. Christmas bird counts. 53 species were seen on the December 22nd count day
and an additional species was seen during the count period.

Hillsborough counters tied last years record of 52 species on the 28th of
December. For the first day in many years, the weather was beautiful, bright sunshine
and no wind to start the count. A pot-luck held in Donagh after the count allowed the
counters who could make it to renew friendships with those home from away and to
compare notes on the "best" sightings of the day. The count summaries were as
follows: (CP = Count Period, PR = Probable)

Species Number in the Count Area

; National Park H+ 11sborough Montague

Common Loon : ZY

Red-throated Loon 1 :

Horned Grebe =~ 1

Northern Gannet re 40

Great Cormorant a4

Cormorant sp. 2

Great Blue Heron 2

Canada Geese 392 S:.. 103

Mallard 1 4 6.2

Black. Duck 792 1,063 309

Northern Pintail 3

Greater Scaup 3 14

Scaup sp. 8

Common Goldeneye 35 ; 295 20

Barrow's Goldeneye 1

Oldsquaw 11 : 40° 198
‘White-winged Scoter 40.

Sea Duck 1

Hooded Merganser bare CPt

Common Merganser 216 135:

Red-breasted. Merganser 5 l 3

Merganser: sp. 3

Duck sp. 5 Ty

Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 2

Red-tailed Hawk 4

Rough-legged Hawk 1

Bald Eagle 2 3 4

Northern Harrier 1

Hawk sp.- 1 CPe

Osprey CP. 1

Ruffed Grouse 8 a3 4

Ring-necked Pheasant ue

Gray Partridge 40

Iceland Gull 11

Ring-billed Gull * Hi 2.

Great Black-backed Gull 108 86 47

Herring Gull 465 265 251

Bonaparte's Gull 1

Black Guillemot 11

Rock Dove : 78 116 282

Mourning Dove ll 12 31

Snowy Owl , 1 :

Belted Kingfisher > 2

Northern Flicker 3 as 2

Hairy Woodpecker 2 8 1

Downy Woodpecker 8 Lee 10

Gray Jay 2

Horned Lark 1 18

Blue Jay 91 291 653
' Common Raven 64 23 14

American Crow ~ — 420 1,508 632

Black-capped Chickadee 138 260 227