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Harrison Christmas Bird Count taking flight

Local bird watchers help with worldwide bird tracking effort
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A black-capped chickadee tolerates the 40 below zero weather. (File)

Calling all bird watchers.

The Harrison Christmas Bird Count is right around the corner on Monday, Dec. 14. According to Nature Chilliwack, the Christmas Bird Count is the longest-running citizen science project in North America with its earliest findings dating back to 1900.

Nature Chilliwack has sponsored the Christmas Bird Count in the Harrison area for several years with the help of local birdwatchers. Data collected from the Christmas Bird Count is delivered to Birds Canada and thenon to the Audubon Society.

To take part in the Christmas Bird Count, contact Denis Knopp at bcwilddenis@uniserve.com or call 604-858-5141 to participate on a driving route or as a Feeder Counter as well as to get a bird checklist and appropriate route.

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Participating as a Feeder Counter – the more encouraged option this year due to COVID-19 – asks bird watchers to keep track of species they see at their bird feeder on Dec. 14, recording the highest number seen at one time. For example, if you see four black-capped chickadees at noon at six at 2 p.m., record seeing six.

The Harrison Christmas Bird Count includes the communities of Tseatah, Chehalis, Hemlock Valley, Morris Valley, Harrison, Harrison Mills and Agassiz.

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Those participating on driving routes will be designated certain areas in which to count bird species using a similar system.

If you’re in need of a birding backpack, they are available at your local library.

Submit your results as soon as possible via email or by calling Knopp.

Nature Chilliwack – formerly called the Chilliwack Field Naturalists – was formed in 1971 and is affiliated with the provincial non-profit B.C. Nature, an initiative to conserve and educate on wildlife all over the province.

To check out the findings of Christmas Bird Counts past, check out Audubon’s website at www.audubon.org.


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