THUNDER BAY – For dozens of local residents, the best Boxing Day finds weren’t deals on toys or electronics, but a spotting of a Northern Hawk Owl or Red-Breasted Nuthatch.
Around 60 people participated in the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists’ 80th annual Christmas Bird Count on Thursday. They joined people in thousands of locations across North America who take part in the yearly survey in late December and early January.
Each Boxing Day, local volunteers fan out in 14 teams over an area 24km in diameter, centred on the intersection between the Harbour and Thunder Bay Expressways. The teams record each bird they can identify by sight or call, information which is compiled and published on the Field Naturalists’ website. Volunteers can also contribute from home by keeping an eye on their backyard birdfeeder.
Brian Ratcliff, a wildlife biologist and longtime participant in the count, was out in the Vickers Heights area with several other volunteers. He says the information they collect can help identify trends in bird populations.
“A lot of researchers use the data, because it’s a big database, and they can start looking at trends,” he says. “I think it’s just one more piece of the puzzle. When you’re looking at bird populations, there are many factors affecting their numbers, and you really have to pull as much data as you can.”
Conditions on Thursday presented a challenge for volunteers, with rain, fog, and a low cloud ceiling obscuring visibility. Because of that, Ratcliff expected numbers to be low this year. His group had counted 16 different species of birds by late afternoon, below average.
Despite the less-than-ideal weather, Ratcliff and his group were in high spirits. He says the tradition is a great way to spend Boxing Day.
“It’s just fun getting out with friends, after a day of sitting around with family and eating lots,” he explains. “It’s nice to get out and walk, enjoy the beautiful landscape around Thunder Bay.”
Results from the Christmas Bird Count are posted at the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists’ website.
