Are you intrigued by the various birds you’ve seen on your hikes and shoreline rambles here on Mayne?

If so, please join our friendly neighbourhood bird enthusiasts to learn about the tools and techniques of basic birding. No experience is required, just a keen eye and interest in learning how to observe our avian neighbours. Binoculars and field guides (or birding phone app) are helpful if you can bring them along.

Please click the link below to register for Neighbourly Birding on Sunday, December 12th, a chance to spend time looking for birds in a small group with an experienced birder. We will be in touch the week prior with the location and other information for participants.

Through this event, we hope to encourage more Mayne Islanders to participate in the annual Christmas Bird Count, North America’s longest-running Citizen Science project. This year the count will take place on Saturday, December 18^th  when thousands of volunteers will collect wildlife survey data in over 2000 locations around the Western Hemisphere. These results are crucial in the day-to-day study by conservation biologists to understand bird population trends.

Michael Dunn, Executive Director of the Mayne Island Conservancy, has organised the Christmas Bird Count for many years, and has recently published his revised and updated “Birds of Mayne Island: a checklist”. This useful guide is available for just $8 and really helps new birders or newcomers to Mayne to narrow down those species they observe. There are currently 192 bird species recorded on Mayne Island and the rocky islets and shoals within one kilometre of our surrounding waters. To get a copy of the new bird guide, please email Michael at ed@mayneconservancy.ca.