鈥淭he trouble with birding,鈥� explained Carl Halvorson, chair of the 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 Environment Society, 鈥渋s if you try it with good intention you will enjoy it鈥β� you might even get hooked.鈥�
It鈥檚 an inexpensive hobby that can take place as close to home as your own back yard, or as far around the world as you wish.聽
And it may be a great deal more exciting and rewarding than you think, he explained, especially when armed with a pair of binoculars聽 鈥� or 鈥榮copes鈥� as the pros call them.
鈥淚 went to Costa Rica on an environmental tour鈥β� and there were these pretty, non-descript little brown birds and little green birds everywhere. Then, all of a sudden, we were given a check list to mark off the birds when we saw them. It became this obsession about how many birds you could get on your list. Then the obsession turned into, 鈥楪osh, that鈥檚 a pretty bird, what a beautiful sound,鈥� and you start wanting to see or hear them just for themselves as opposed to it being for a game.鈥澛�
Marcia Danielson, fellow member of the environment society, began birding when she was just 21 years old while working at the University of Manitoba.聽
It鈥檚 a great opportunity to get out, she explained, and one that she now enjoys sharing with her grandchildren.
鈥淏irding, for me, is just a euphemism for wandering around out there in the fields and forests and just being immersed in nature. It draws me outside, which is where I鈥檇 rather be than anywhere else,鈥� she said.
Bird watching also helps recharge her batteries and keeps her mind active, she explained, especially over the past 10 years which she鈥檚 spent honing her listening skills to recognize individual bird song.
From spotting songbirds in her backyard, to viewing flamingos in Florida and observing rare, resplendent quetzals in Ecuador, birding is now a huge part of Danielson鈥檚 life and travels.聽
It鈥檚 also a love she shares with her husband 鈥� though she鈥檚 quite a bit better at it than him she said.
If there鈥檚 a bird count in town, it鈥檚 likely been organized at least partly by Danielson or her husband, Grant, including the Christmas bird count, the eagle count, the monthly bird count, and the annual owl count.
While the owl count is one of the only counts that happens under the cover of darkness, the majority begin before most people have had breakfast.聽
It鈥檚 a beautiful time of day, Danielson explained, and a great way to experience birding for the first time.
鈥淏ird counts are a good way to start birding because there are always people there who are knowledgeable about birds... and we鈥檙e more than happy to teach people, because it鈥檚 something we love to share,鈥� she said.
April, May and June are also the busiest times for spotters, as it鈥檚 the breeding season, so it can be a fun time to begin birding, Danielson explained.
鈥淚f you come for the first time,鈥� Halvorson added, 鈥渢here seems to be a lot of wandering around, not really doing anything. And then you see a bird. And there鈥檚 a bluebird. And there鈥檚 another one. And it gets quite exciting. It seems all nerdy and weird鈥� but it can be really fun and really rewarding. Everyone should give it a go. And hopefully you have a sunny day and come away thinking, I want more of this.鈥�
And, just occasionally, Danielson added, you might see something astounding.
Two years ago she saw a bird sitting on top of a little squat spruce in a meadow.
聽鈥淎nd just as I picked聽 up my binoculars it turned its face and looked at me and I realised it was a Great Grey Owl, said Danielson. 聽
鈥淭he first time ever in 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料.鈥�
She visited the owl every day after that. 鈥淚t would fly in right beside me and hunt. They鈥檙e spectacularly huge birds.鈥�
Unfortunately, word about the owl-sighting spread and Conversation Officers had to step in to stop onlookers harassing the bird.聽
There are rumours though that it may not have flown all that far away, however, Danielson has yet to see it again.
Though the environment society is involved in many aspects of local wildlife and habitat preservation, birding plays a huge role within the society and, for about 30 years, a core group of volunteers has gone out no matter what the weather to conduct the monthly bird count in 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料.
The huge catalogue of data is now with Quest University being analyzed, though Danielson has a gut feeling about a few patterns they might see.
鈥淭here are species moving in that were previously never in 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 or the estuary,鈥� she said, and added that bushtits, Virginia rails, and Anna鈥檚 humming birds are now being seen here, like never before.
鈥淥n the other side of it, five years ago I鈥檓 thinking I would see or hear a lot more red-breasted nuthatches than we are seeing now鈥� I used to have them in my yard but more big houses have moved into this neighbourhood, forests have been cut down and we鈥檙e removing the things that these birds need.鈥�
In addition to these shifts in species, some she feels have suffered a dramatic loss in numbers, and recalls previous years when she鈥檇 see 200 sea ducks at a time on the water in the winter.
鈥淣ow you don鈥檛 see that鈥� but maybe we鈥檙e going to see a reversal as Howe Sound improves in health.鈥�
老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 has been designated as an 鈥業mportant Bird Area鈥� by BirdLife International and, according to the District of 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 website, provides habitat for over 200 species of local and migratory birds.
鈥淚t鈥檚 incredibly rich for numbers of species and numbers of individuals,鈥� said Danielson, and it pains her to see industrial parks spreading and forests being cut down.
On the positive side, Halvorson said he鈥檚 attended meetings where representatives from industry have spoken up for the protection of wildlife corridors.聽
He鈥檚 also grateful that much of the development is dense and not sprawling.
鈥淚鈥檇 rather have 80 people standing on their heads than 80 people spreading across the land,鈥� he said.
聽The 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 Environment Society works tirelessly behind the scenes here in 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 to preserve wildlife and their habitats, and, like so many local organizations, relies on volunteers to succeed 鈥� a resource that is often in short supply.
If you would like to become involved, monthly bird counts begin and end at the Howe Sound Brew Pub on the second Sunday of every month.聽
There are also monthly nature walks and local events.聽
For more information go to .
