SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Milder temperatures meant generally higher numbers and a unique sighting as Ecology North conducted its annual Christmas bird count in and around Yellowknife on Saturday.

A boreal chickadee perches in a snow-covered tree on Saturday. It was one of 11 boreal chickadees counted that day by birders who were out for Ecology North's annual Christmas time bird count. - photo courtesy of Peggy Holroyd

Nineteen amateur ornithologists headed out on a pleasant, sunny day and identified 13 different species of birds, up from 10 last year, said avid birder and retired MLA Bob Bromley. Ecology North's count has been taking place since 1973.

"The highlight this year, maybe the highlight of the decade was the sighting of a pileated woodpecker," Bromley said. "Woody the woodpecker - this is him. It's the size of a crow - a massive woodpecker compared to any other woodpecker we have - a very striking, big red head and big black body."

The woodpecker was spotted by Yellowknife resident Vicky Johnston, who is a biologist for Environment Canada. She said she saw it off the Ingraham Trail across from the Yellowknife River day park.

"It was exciting because the last one that was seen here (by the bird counters) was at least 10 years ago," Johnston said. "There was no way I could have got a photo. The bird was at least 25 metres away from us. I was busy looking at another bird when my 12-year-old daughter said, 'mom, there's a raven.' As I looked at it - it flew into the bush so I only saw the back of it, but I said that's a pileated woodpecker! After it settled into the bush, I couldn't see it but I could hear its distinctive call. That's when I was sure it was a pileated woodpecker."

The intrepid birders covered a large area - a 24-kilometre radius from the intersection of Franklin Avenue and 50 Street.

"That goes almost out to Cassidy Point and then just beyond Ranney Hill to the North, out Vee Lake Road, and all the way out to the Sub Islands on the big lake and out the highway," Bromley said.

"The other exciting aspect this year was the sighting of the 17 pine grosbeaks. They are a bright, rich, red colour - the males are almost a wine red colour and kind of a knock your socks off bird," Bromley said. "I've heard of a number of small flocks being seen around town at people's feeders. This is only the second time we caught them on the bird count day. The mild weather was probably accounting for their numbers."

Bromley said the house sparrow numbers were up marginally but the bird is not yet on the rebound.

"They were wiped out throughout their range very mysteriously about six or eight years ago when we only counted four of them at Christmas. When they were healthy we'd get 250 of those. They have not recovered yet," he said.

Bromley said the bird count gives people, specifically biologists, a better sense of the overall health of all wildlife in the area.

"There are two aspects two motivations to the count. One is to teach people about their environment and their relationship to it. The other is to monitor the health of the environment," Bromley said. "Things seem to be on track."

Annual Ecology North bird count

• Raven 2,172
• Gray jay (whiskey jack) 10
• Willow ptarmigan 76
• Common redpoll 146
• Hoary redpoll 25
• Redpoll (unidentified subspecies) 109
• House sparrow 42
• Boreal chickadee 11
• Black-capped chickadee 2
• Pine grosbeak 17
• Sharp-tailed grouse 2
• Black-billed magpie 62
• Pileated woodpecker 1
• Hairy woodpecker 1

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