The Christmas Bird Count

    This time of year, birders in locations around North America are participating in the Christmas Bird Count.  In McBride, we have been doing it for decades.  Volunteers go out, or keep an eye on the bird feeders in their yards, then record the species of birds they see and their numbers.  The survey gives biologists an idea of the ebb, flow, and migration of bird populations on the continent.

    During the count, I am always hopeful of seeing some rarer bird that what is usual.  The usuals in my yard for the Christmas Bird Count Black Capped Chickadees. Red Breasted Nuthatches, Downy Woodpeckers, and Hairy Woodpeckers, which I report every winter.  This year there were some changes; I had no Hairy Woodpeckers, but did have a few new birds.  I saw a White Breasted Nuthatch, which usually don’t live around here, and a Northern Shrike (photo above) down by my pond.

    I have been noticing a pair of Shrikes during the last two summers, but this was the first time I have seen any in the winter. 

    A week ago, I did see a Brown Creeper, a relatively rare bird, that shows up once or twice a year, but unfortunately, never appears during the Christmas Bird Count.

View my paintings at:  davidmarchant2.ca