Christmas Bird Counts
It's that time of year again! We will be celebrating our 55th annual count in Saskatoon on Boxing Day. Plan to be part of the best recreational event our winter season has to offer!
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Anyone can join the fun Beginners are urged to participate - you do not need to have any expertise and your help will be greatly appreciated. Just dress warmly and be prepared to spend a few hours helping your team to count the birds in your neighborhood or an assigned sector. It is a great way to learn to recognize some of our winter resident birds, and there is always a possibility that you may have the thrill of finding a rare winter visitor.
The Christmas Bird Count "count period" lasts from December 14 to January 5 inclusive. If you see an unusual bird during this period please report it to the count coordinator.
The Saskatoon Nature Society organizes three local counts. The main Saskatoon count, which covers most of the city and some surrounding area, is traditionally held on Boxing Day, December 26th. The Clark's Crossing count (Saturday, December 19th) and the Pike Lake count (Saturday, January 2rd, 2010) cover adjacent areas north and south of the city.
I. CLARK'S CROSSING - Saturday, 19. December 2009
This count circle includes the north end of Saskatoon (Silverwood Heights), Martensville, Warman, Osler, and part of the Strawberry Hills. Residents of these areas are particularly encouraged to participate.
Contact: Michael Williams (242-5383) as soon as possible
II. SASKATOON - Boxing Day - Friday, 26. December 2009
Plan now to take part in the 55th annual Saskatoon Boxing Day Bird Count. All you have to do is sign up by calling the count coordinator before December 22 and set aside a few hours in the morning or afternoon or all day if you wish on December 26. Count hours are between dawn and dusk which at this time of year makes for a short day. Teams working in rural areas usually go out for the whole day while city counters may make more flexible arrangements.
A come-and-go social with warming snacks and drinks takes place at the end of the day when team leaders report results and participants share stories. May Haga has graciously offered to host the social at her home in Lakeview.
Contact: Michael Williams (242-5383)
III. PIKE LAKE - Saturday, 2. January 2010
Want an outdoor break after the holiday festivities? Join the Pike Lake count. Participants in this rural count generally go out for the whole day. Teams get together for a noon lunch break. You will be asked to contribute $1.00 towards the use of the lunch facility.
Contact: Hilda Noton (374-0674) by 29. December
Participants in the Saskatoon count (except for feeder watchers) have always been required to pay a standard $5.00 participation fee. The money goes to Bird Studies Canada and the National Audubon Society to help process and publish the data from this and other counts across North America. In the past, data from the Clark’s Crossing and Pike Lake counts were not submitted to the national data base. In order to include these and yet not discourage participation, our Society now subsidizes the three local counts.
Members of the Saskatoon Nature Society who participate in any or all of the three local counts will be required to pay the $5.00 fee one time only. Many of our members participate in more than one of these counts, and the additional fees required for data submission will be paid by the Society.
Note that existing exemptions from this fee remain in effect: individual members of Bird Studies Canada, feeder watchers, and youth 18 years or under do not have to pay.
For those who like to travel farther afield (or even overnight) there are other counts that might interest you.
Gardiner Dam: prior to December 18th
Biggar: Sunday, December 27th
Squaw Rapids: Friday, January 1st (tentative)
Contact Guy Wapple (249-3280) to confirm dates and volunteer.
Qu'Appelle Valley Dam: Sunday, December 20
An all day trip to Elbow and the Douglas Park area, leaving Saskatoon at 7:00 a.m.
Contact: Michael Williams (242-5383)