The 2019 Lambton County Christmas Bird Count for Kids (CBC4KIDS), hosted by LWI’s Young Naturalist team and staffed by club volunteers was completed on Saturday, Dec 28th at Canatara Park, Sarnia Ontario. 25 kids, ages 6-12 participated with their parents or grandparents in our 2nd annual count.
Although bird numbers were down, as is the case all over the continent, the kids and adults had a great time! It was wonderful to see so many children and youth interested in birds and nature over the holidays. With all generations involved, it made for a unique event blending outdoor activity, citizen science, and family-friendly fun.
Leading groups of intrepid young birders were: Sharon & Deryl Nethercott, Amy Virostek, Brandon Edwards, Sean Jenniskens, and Mike Kent. As participants arrived our leaders put them through a quick bino bootcamp to learn how to use binoculars. Upon completion, they earned a tufted titmouse (our mascot this year) button. After the bootcamp, Thanks to Vortex Canada and Nova Chemicals, we were able to equip our participants with Vortex binoculars that we hope opened a window to an undiscovered world for some.
16 species of birds were seen by the groups for a total of 186 birds seen in the 70 minutes of counting. One group saw two Coopers hawks, and another group got a look at a Brown Creeper! Our most numerous bird was the long-tailed duck, with a total count of 70. The temperature was 3-4 degrees Celsius with overcast skies.
Each of our participants went home with a pinecone feeder kit, a nature magazine, and a titmouse button. After the count, each group reported their findings and enjoyed hot chocolate and warm cookies.
Anne Goulden did a tremendous job organizing and leading the event. Also assisting were Brandy Fenwick and Mary Martin.
To learn more about the Young Naturalist Club, check out this section of our site: Lambton Wildlife Programs
We also made a special annoucement at the CBC4KIDS event that for 2020 memberships will be FREE for Young Nats!
Sign up today to get your family in the know for kid-friendly events!
