BSC birding for beginners seminar April 26
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Jody Allair was only recently in Hawaii, leading a bird-watching junket in which he’d see three of the 500 Maui Parrotbills left in existence. During an earlier jaunt to Trinidad, he viewed 2,000 Glossy Ibis in the Caroni Swamp at sunset, definitely a top-20 experience lifetime for the serious birder.
Despite these globe-trotting opportunities, Allair ranks the world-class opportunities available right in his own backyard as second-to-none, admitting to a special spot for the annual northern migration of hundreds of thousands of songbirds.
“In May, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. I’d choose birding in Long Point in May over anywhere else, I really would.”
Apart from a wide variety of resident birds based on a wide variety of habitat, Long Point’s unique characteristics make it host to spectacular migrations: waterfowl in March and April and songbirds in May; along with return trips in the fall.
Allair has the ability to pick off a flying swallow a quarter-mile away, but even with his personal preference for songbirds, allows waterfowl provide bigger, brighter and more stationary targets, an easy open door to the sport so to speak, for beginning birders.
“As opposed to trying to search for something flitting around in the woods.”
Those looking to have that door opened a little wider for all species, are invited to the Bird Studies Canada Pledge To Fledge: Beginning Bird ID program, Saturday, April 26 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon, beginning at the BSC facility just west of Port Rowan.
Following an introduction to bird-watching basics, participants will head out into the field to complete an ‘everything you wanted to know about bird watching, but were afraid to ask,’ experience.
“That’s it, absolutely,” Allair laughed. “Come on down and give it a try.”
The program, featuring Allair and open to interested persons of all ages, is offered free of charge, but participants must register via phone (1-519-586-3531 ext. 128) or email: education@birdscanada.org.
Interested persons of all ages may also be interested in bird banding activities at the BSC Old Cut station. Banding has begun says Allair and will continue for six hours a day (beginning at dawn) through until June. Public visits to see the process are encouraged.
“I highly encourage people to come down and see conservation in action,” Allair concluded.