The numbers are way down this year thanks to the lousy weather.
Held on a snowy and rain drenched Sunday, Dec. 27, the preliminary numbers for annual Ladner Christmas Bird Count had the local count of bird species spotted here at 133.
Last year, held a week prior on a sunny and clear day, the Ladner count had a final number of 143 different bird species, tops in Canada.
Noting the weather and this year's count being held on a Christmas weekend also kept volunteer numbers down, coordinator Jude Grass said it was a difficult day for birders as birds hid and were hunkered down.
"Normally we'd be in the 140s," the coordinator explained.
