Owen Sound Field Naturalists Nature Column
Submitted by John Dickson
In Canada, Birds Canada oversees Annual Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs). Running from December 14, 2024 – January 5, 2025, the counts contribute to community science and are open to everyone. Community scientists count as many different species and individuals of those species as possible over the course of a single day. The diameter of each count circle is 24-kilometres. The CBCs across Grey-Bruce and their contact person are listed below.
If you find that the various ‘count teams’ have already been filled, you may be able to contribute counts of bird sightings from your backyard and home neighbourhood area too, if you are within the official count area.
• Saturday, December 14, 2024 – Owen Sound CBC – Erik Van Den Kieboom –erikkieboom@outlook.com
• Saturday, December 14, 2024 – Hanover/Walkerton CBC – Gerard McNaughton – gmcnaughton@wightman.ca
• Sunday, December 15, 2024 – Wiarton CBC – Jarmo Jalava – jvjalava@gmail.com
• Tuesday, December 17, 2024 – Tobermory CBC – Tanya Markvart – tanya.markvart@pc.gc.ca
• Thursday, December 19, 2024 – Kincardine – James Turland -jaturland@gmail.com
• Saturday, December 28, 2024 – Meaford CBC – Lynne Richardson – lynnerichardson@rogers.com
• Sunday, December 29, 2024 – Pike Bay CBC – Andrew Keaveney – uofgtwitcher@gmail.com
• Monday, December 30, 2024 – Cape Chin CBC – Andrew Keaveney – uofgtwitcher@gmail.com
• Thursday, January 2, 2025 – Saugeen Shores CBC – Kiah Jasper – kiahjasper@gmail.com
Or visit this link to find a CBC near you. https://naturecounts.ca/apps/cbc/mapviewer.jsp
* CBC Information from Norah Toth.
This late fall and early winter has featured a number of Owl sightings, including the return of snowy owls to our region along with sightings of the amazing short-eared owls that are crepuscular and can be seen hunting in the diminishing light of late afternoon and early evening, with their languid, fluid wing beats, over fields and fences.
My first sighting of a barred owl came a few years ago on November 30, as its big outspread wings flew over me at about 4:30pm with just that half hour of light remaining on my last bike ride before the wint’ry weather would be arriving the next day. My ears will be even more alert now for Great Horned Owls that have occasionally been nesting nearby in recent years.
After the first few owl sightings this fall, David Turner shared this sage advice – “It looks like this year will be much better for Snowy Owls than the last couple of years. Look for them around open fields, they also like to hang around wind turbine sites and along shorelines. Always remember not to get too close and don’t stay long.”
Kiah Jasper also added this: “Snowies incoming to southern Ontario! After two poor winters for Snowy Owls here in Ontario, it’s shaping up to be a good season for them (and other owl species). In the past two weeks there’s been a large influx of sightings across the Northeast, with many birds reported even farther south than the Great Lakes. Keep an eye on your local shorelines and fields over the coming weeks!”
