Each year between December 14th and Jan.5, thousands of Canadian bird watchers search our towns, cities and countryside for bird sightings, their contribution to a nation-wide Annual Christmas bird count, now in it香蕉视频直播檚 125th year!
In BC over 100 communities field volunteer observation teams. The objective香蕉视频直播o document how wild birds are faring across Canada.
On a bright December morning my team mate and I scanned our designated sector, right in the heart of central Penticton. Yes, there are birds in cities, perhaps as many as 100 species in this town over the year.
But it香蕉视频直播檚 winter now. We checked all the most obvious sites first香蕉视频直播he chain store parking lot along Ellis Creek and then Penticton Creek. We regularly count on good numbers of California quail, gulls, mallards and a crow or two. We weren香蕉视频直播檛 disappointed! Although we didn香蕉视频直播檛 see last years special visitor香蕉视频直播 large black and white striped Pileated Woodpecker.
By wrap-up time, we香蕉视频直播檇 put 50 kilometres on the car and 3 km on foot, all within our city centre. Total count香蕉视频直播�18 individual species. That香蕉视频直播檚 about average for this time of year in our city sector with House sparrows, House finches, an eagle, Black-capped chickadees, and surprises such as a Red-breasted nuthatch.
Meanwhile, dozens of other folks were observing birds along nearby lake shores and inland as far as Summerland and Naramata areas. They contributed 91 species and almost 15,000 individual birds for the Penticton area total!
The following weekend in dense fog with a 7:30 am start, I join the Vaseux Lake area bird count. Five of us explored the rail trail along the Skaha shore north from Kaleden toward the RV park, a mere 3.5 kilometres each way but almost 3 hours in observer time!
First thrill香蕉视频直播 colourful male Kestrel, a small but deadly falcon, that spiraled into a tree top occupied by a flock of starlings who ignored the interloper.
Bird counts are all about watching, listening, peering into thickets, or scanning distant tree tops and vistas with binoculars, then questioning each other for consensus. Was that a Song sparrow in the brush, a Common or Barrow香蕉视频直播檚 goldeneye duck on the water香蕉视频直播r something unexpected?
I felt pleased to recognize the raucous call of a Steller香蕉视频直播檚 jay, a personal favourite with it香蕉视频直播檚 iridescent dark blue plumage and black crest.
Meanwhile, near the shallows and reeds of Sickle Point, the rest of the crew had added four Trumpeter swans, plus Horned and Red-necked grebes, some Hooded mergansers, a Greater scaup (not to be confused with Lesser scaups), one Goldeneye and one Ring-necked duck.
Although I participated in just the morning ramble, many others explored south to Vaseux Lake and further afield for a sector total of 95 species, slightly above the 30 year average. The individual total was 7020 individual birds, sadly a bit lower than expected with inevitable speculation as to why. But that香蕉视频直播檚 what the count is all about.
Would you like to participate in a bird count? Contact your local community naturalist group or visit .
To contact Dianne Bersea, Out on a Limb:
Artist, writer, photographer, presenter
dianne.islandartist@gmail.com
