3rd Christmas Bird Count for Kids!

Glaucus-winged gull in a very Powell River setting – A. Bryant photo

Some new birding talent is emerging… – A. Bryant photo

I was really amused to see how quickly these young ladies became proficient with using a spotting scope. – A. Bryant photo

A few Surf scoters and Buffleheads. Hey, we missed that Black scoter! – A. Bryant photo

A great excuse for a Saturday morning! – A. Bryant photo

Classic winter in Powell River scene. – A. Bryant photo

An unusually cooperative Varied thrush. – A. Bryant photo

Mew gull by the water. – A. Bryant photo

Ok, so how many Kildeer do you see here? I count 11. – A. Bryant photo

Had I not seen them fly in, I never would have known they were there. – A. Bryant photo

Elizabeth tallies the score. – A. Bryant photo

Christmas Bird Count for Kids!
by Andrew Bryant, 6 December 2014

For the third year in a row,  the Young Naturalists participated in the Christmas Bird Count for Kids.  Although not an official Audubon event, it’s a great excuse for families to get out and about, learn some new birds and socialize with others.

Nicely organized by Elizabeth Tenhoeve and Michael Stewart, nine children and about a dozen adults braved the somewhat scary-looking weather and showed up at Willingdon Beach.  In fact the rains parted and it proved to be a great day.   Thanks also to John Treen, Neil Hughes, Heather Harbord, Janet Bingham, Clyde Burton and Nick Hauser for the scopes and birding expertise, and to Angelique Veerman and Gillian Andrew for the hot chocolate!

In all we counted 26 species and 156 individuals.  Highlights for me included a Thayer’s gull, Mew gulls, a very cooperative Varied thrush, and a flock of about 30 Kildeer that showed off their amazing ability to hide in plain sight!