The National Audubon Society’s 121st Christmas Bird Count took place from Dec. 14 through Jan. 5 with Bowen Island participating on Jan. 1. Forty-one birders braved the downpour throughout the day and counted birds over much of the island on foot, by car and by boat. Seventy-three species with more than 2,600 individuals were detected over the course of the day.
The most notable observation was a blue jay, the first ever record of this species on Bowen Island, by Jani Bucke near Alder Cove.
The record-breaking sighting of a boreal owl in the Lower Mainland. By Jani Bucke
Jani also observed a boreal owl the week prior to the count. While this species cannot be included in our Christmas Bird Count on account of its poor timing, it is of significance as it is the first record of this species in the Lower Mainland!
The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is a long-standing program of the National Audubon Society, with more than a century of community science involvement. It is an early-winter bird census, where thousands of volunteers across the U.S., Canada, and many countries in the Western Hemisphere go out over a 24-hour period on one calendar day to count birds. Volunteers count every bird they see or hear all day through a designated 15-mile (24-km) diameter. So, it’s not just a species tally—it’s a tally of all birds counted all day, giving an indication of the total number of birds in the circle that day! If you’re interested in reviewing some of the historical data, it’s available online at audubon.org/conservation/where-have-all-birds-gone.
I would like to thank all the birders that took part in this year’s count.
We were successful in having enough volunteers to cover all of the zones on the island.
I would also like to extend special thanks to Brian Biddlecombe of Cormorant Marine who volunteered his boat and time to enable birders to count birds on Worlcombe, Pasley and Ragged Islands.
Gratitude also goes out to those property owners that allowed birders to access their property to watch feeders, check in on significant bird habitat and otherwise enabled us to increase our count.
As there is a specific methodology to the Christmas Bird Count, if you’d like to participate next year, feel free to contact me at 604-838-2321.
