100 Mile House's annual Christmas Bird count is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 14.
Christmas Bird Count co-ordinator Paul Foth said that, as always, he is welcoming any birders with time and interest to take part in the bird count this year. The count runs from sunrise to sunset on Dec. 14 and can be done either out in the field or from the comfort of your backyard by watching bird feeders.
"We are always looking for a little more. So far we have about eight people signed up which is not quite enough to have enough counters to cover the different areas," Foth said. "It's a good way to meet other bird watchers and to get to know the birds in your area and help contribute to something."
Foth said the best way for people to sign up is to contact him at 250-948-0849 or gopishingbc@gmail.com. He encourages any who do to make sure they dress warm and have a camera or pair of binoculars to spot birds.
As in previous years, Foth said he'll divide his counters into teams of two who will then be sent out across 100 Mile House's count circle. This area includes the District of 100 Mile House itself, down to 93 Mile House, out east towards Buffalo Creek and up to the 108 Mile Ranch.
Counters will be tasked with cataloguing every bird they see, identifying their species and counting each individual. Once done Foth will tally the total number of birds for each species and publish his findings in late December to early January.
"Winter is a very interesting time to watch birds. We sometimes get a lot of winter bird species like Red Polls, Pine Grosbeaks and Bohemian Waxwings. Some of those winter birds are really beautiful and are really cool birds," Foth remarked. "We also get our regular birds that stick around all year like Chickadees, Nuthatches, Woodpeckers, Crows and Ravens. Depending on the weather we may get some ducks or waterfowl if there are open lakes."
Foth noted that this year marks the 125th year that a Christmas Bird Count has been held across Canada. Using the data collected he said birders can make good estimates about the stability of winter bird populations across the country.
As always, Foth said he'll be on the lookout for the rarer species of birds people don't always see on a day-to-day basis. These include Northern Pygmy Owls, Great Grey Owls, the American Three-toed Woodpecker, Black Back Woodpecker, Grouse, waterfowl and the American Dipper, the South Cariboo's only swimming songbird.
"You never know what you're going to find. Last year was a surprising year because there was a Morning Dove and a Black Billed Magpie which are birds that aren't typically found here any time of year," Foth said.
If there is enough interest from participants, Foth plans to run an online workshop on winter birds in the area to help people identify local bird species.
