The long-running Ladner Christmas Bird Count saw a wide variety of species on count day.
Held Saturday, Dec. 22, the count, so far, had 129 different species spotted, said coordinator Jude Grass, who noted not all the results from volunteer counters are in yet.
“I’m expecting we’ll have probably four or maybe five more species to the list. I’m hoping we can get in the mid-130 range or 140,” said Grass.
The count saw the usual barn owls and bitterns, which are shorebirds, while some of the less common species sighted included a California Quale and a Harris Sparrow.
Grass noted the count, as usual, had very keen and observant volunteers including Mary Taitt who was accompanied by scientists at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary on Westham Island.
Last year participants spotted 139 species, which put Ladner behind Victoria for the national crown for the third year in a row. Birders in B.C.’s capital city counted 144 species last year, reportedly the highest number there since 2006.
The Ladner count, which dates back to the 1950s, is part of a larger regional Christmas Bird Count, which is a component of a much larger count across the continent.
Started in 1900, the Christmas Bird Count is North America's longest-running Citizen Science project. Counts happen in over 2,000 locations throughout the Western Hemisphere, according to Bird Studies Canada.
The information collected by thousands of volunteer participants forms one of the world's largest sets of wildlife survey data. The results are used by conservation biologists and naturalists to assess the population trends and distribution of birds.
Each Christmas Bird Count, including Ladner, is conducted on a single day between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5. Counts are carried out within a 24-kilometre diameter circle that stays the same from year to year.
