Well folks, we made it into another decade, and we couldn’t be happier to be here. With the holiday season in our rearview, we are in full swing now at the store and there (as always) is plenty to chat about.
With that in mind, we also would like to remind everyone of our Facebook Group. We created this birding and nature-focused space a few years back and it has transformed quite nicely over the years. It’s an opportunity for us to connect on another level, share our photography, links of interest, ask questions and participate in discussions. In the case of this week’s post, it brought some interesting findings to our attention as well (more on that below).
So, if you haven’t already, please do check our group out – we’d love to have you in the flock!
Christmas Bird Counts
As most of you are aware, the latest edition of the Christmas Bird Counts just passed by last month and once again, it was a wonderful showing. While data is still in the collection process, early numbers indicate a massive amount of participation, which keeps our birds healthy and safe.
This year so far, there have been a recorded 718 counts that have thus far accounted for over 10 million bird sightings. When it comes to conservation and protecting our birds, there is nothing more powerful than participating in these sanctioned bird counts. This data is analyzed on an annual basis and is used to inform ornithologists, environmentalists, citizens and lawmakers to ensure that our bird populations are healthy and happy, so we always encourage everyone to participate when possible.
Blue Birds – In January?
Yes, that’s right! We received reports of a pair of beautiful eastern blue birds earlier this month in our Facebook Group which certainly got us thinking and a lot of people talking. The blue birds were photographed flitting back and forth across a set of snowmobile trail markers, which certainly not the setting we are used to seeing them in here in our neck of the woods.
Photo: Judy Schizkoske
The reason for this and many other summer bird species remaining is the fact that despite approaching the middle of January, the winter has been relatively mild here in Eastern Ontario. In addition to the above seasonal weather, we also have yet to receive an abundant amount of snow and these two conditions combined provide birds with ample feed to keep themselves warm and remain in more northern locales for longer periods of time.