Tanara Oliveira/News Staff
The Victoria Christmas Bird Count had anticipated a splendid weather day, only to awaken to dense fog, posing a challenge for bird counters across the region.
Undeterred, they ventured out and tallied approximately 85,000 birds of 140 different species.
“The conditions were less than ideal along the coastline, but we had boats on the water and counters in the field, all very thankful for fair skies and little wind,” said Ann Nightingale, the Victoria count coordinator.
Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, several rare birds within the count circle were successfully located. The first-ever Pygmy Nuthatches and White-breasted Nuthatch for the count were discovered at Ross Bay Cemetery.
“We found most of the birds we were expecting to find,” noted Nightingale. “The overall species count and number of individuals is about average for recent years when the weather has cooperated.”
Participation in the count has steadily grown. In 2022, Victoria had 306 field counters, ranking it among the top count circles worldwide, with over 2,600 count circles globally.
“We struggle with our feeder counters, but we’re working on it,” said Nightingale, highlighting other cities like Edmonton with higher participation, especially in feeder watch counts.
The Christmas Bird Count for Kids (CBC4Kids) witnessed significant growth this year. While the official Victoria count is coordinated by the Victoria Natural History Society, the family-friendly event is hosted by Rocky Point Bird Observatory, attracting more than 60 participants of all ages. Nightingale emphasized the importance of involving families.
“It’s fantastic to get families involved. Those kids will shape the future for bird conservation.”
Participants had the delight of spotting one of the most sought-after birds of this Christmas Bird Count Season. A Summer Tanager, known for frequenting a feeder in North Saanich, made an appearance, much to the joy of Sidney/South Salt Spring count coordinator, Daniel Donnecke.
“We’re still waiting for some of our lists from counters on Salt Spring,” he mentioned, “but we might be heading for a record year. The tanager, a Pygmy Nuthatch, and a Sandhill Crane were excellent birds to have on our count.”
As of the latest update, more than 23,000 individuals of 121 species had been recorded.
