By John G. Woods

Contributor

Across Canada, groups of children and their parents are joining local naturalist leaders this Christmas season to count birds. Most people know of the adult version of the Christmas Bird Count (CBC), that has become a seasonal tradition in Canada. CBC4Kids is similar, but with a focus to help children learn about birds as they enjoy a few hours exploring nature in their home communities.

Our local NatureKids BC club (formerly Young Naturalists Club) explored the Foreshore Trail in Salmon Arm on Sunday, Dec. 10. It was a wet day but that did not deter. We had 10 children participate, along with their parents.

Program leaders Molly Cooperman and Carolyn Uher organized the annual event. Local biologist John Woods and Marcia Woods were the local experts. They mentored the children and their parents to identify local birds by sight and sound.

One of the best sightings of the count was a group of five Northern flickers perched on a tree. The children particularly liked looking through a spotting-scope that gave them a close look at the bird.

Counting the nearly one hundred mallard ducks was a challenge for a few.

The final tally was 11 species and 156 individual birds on a three-hour hike covering about three kilometres. Results from the count were entered into eBird, a citizen science database that tracks bird observations world-wide.

Salmon Arm NatureKids BC club events are free and last two or three hours. Families wanting to join the club should contact Molly Cooperman at salmonarm@naturekidsbc.ca or find them on Facebook.

Submitted

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