While there weren’t any turtle doves or French hens, the Orillia Naturalists’ Club counted dozens of bird species — totalling more than 6,000 individual birds — during the Christmas Bird Count last weekend.
Nine groups of volunteers braved cold winter weather and covered different parts of the Orillia area, spanning a 24-kilometre radius, during the annual count.
This year, 59 bird species were identified, with a strong showing of hawks and woodpeckers, numerous bald eagles, and a few “record-breaking” observations — such as a green heron, 16 turkey vultures, and record numbers of woodpeckers.
Overseen by Birds Canada, the annual count plays an important role in monitoring bird populations, and it’s something local naturalist Bob Bowles has done in Orillia for more than 40 years.
Whether it’s watching bald eagle numbers climb, or other species move into new areas, Bowles said bird counts help gauge how local birds are faring.
“Years ago, you would be really happy to have a bald eagle. That was a rare species. DDT (a formerly widespread insecticide) had knocked the numbers down, and our own group had 10,” Bowles told OrilliaMatters.
“You can see the eagles numbers coming up. You can see the cardinal — when I did my first count in Muskoka, I remember finding one cardinal for the count in ’81,” he said. “Today, you’d expect over a dozen cardinals, so they've moved north.”
Bowles said the gathered data is sent to Birds Canada to gather information on bird populations, and he said the counts provide a great way for residents to get involved in science.
Last Saturday, five residents joined Bowles — forming one of nine teams — to help carry out this year’s count.
“It’s a citizen science program, so it allows people to go out. People like to know what's around them, and they enjoy looking at birds, so it’s a good opportunity to volunteer,” Bowles said. “You don’t need to be an expert bird watcher. You just have to have an interest to spend the day out.”
This weekend, Bowles is carrying out another bird count in Matheson Creek Camp, near Midhurst, and on Jan. 4 he’ll be doing another bird count in Carden.
Bowles encouraged those interested in bird counts to reach out to him at [email protected].
The Orillia Naturalists’ Club is also inviting the public out to its first 2025 meeting on Monday, Jan. 8, from 7 to 9 p.m, which will feature a presentation from experienced birder Marcie Jacklin about the different owls that call Ontario home.
More may be found on the Orillia Naturalists’ Club website.
