Christmas Bird Counts 2023

HARRISON RIVER COUNT December 14, 2022

Post Count Meeting at Old Settler Pub in Harrison Hot Springs at 4:30 PM

CHILLIWACK COUNT December 16, 2022

Post Count Meeting by Zoom at 7 PM (link will be sent to participants)

Contact Denis Knopp to participate

Or call Denis at 604-858-5141

Abbotsford Count 2023 – TBA

Contact Ken Summers

Helpful Information

Help Nature Chilliwack’s contribution to citizen science by joining the Christmas Bird Count! You can participate in either or both of our Christmas Bird Counts on a “driving route” or as a Feeder Counter from the comfort of your home, as long as your home is in the defined count circle (see maps below).

The Chilliwack count circle reaches from Cultus Lake in the south to Deroche and Harrison Bay in the north. The western boundary enters the east end of Vedder Mountain and all of the Bert Brink Wildlife Management Area. The easternmost sections reach almost to the centre of Rosedale, most of Slesse Trailer Park and the peak of Elk Mountain. The Harrison River count circle includes the town of Agassiz to the south and Cartmell Creek and Cascade Peninsula to the north. The western section includes Hemlock Valley and Mt. Davies and the eastern boundary includes Hicks Lake and Trout Lake.

Your safety is paramount. Please follow all COVID restrictions for our area and stay safe!

Nature Chilliwack is encouraging more “Feeder Counters”

To count at home, you just need to count the species you see at your feeder, recording the highest number at any one time. Thus, if you see 4 Black-capped Chickadees at 10 am and 6 at noon, you would record this as 6 Black-capped Chickadees. Please provide your address or nearest crossroads so we know where to put your results within the count circle.

Submitting Your Results

Please contact our compiler Denis Knopp at bcwilddenis@uniserve.com, or call 604-858-5141 if you would like to participate on a driving route or as a feeder counter and to get your information, bird list and routes. Please send your results, as soon as possible after the count, via email or call in (limited number) to Denis.

History of the Count

The Christmas Bird Count began over a century ago when 27 conservationists in 25 localities, led by scientist Frank Chapman, changed the course of ornithological history. On Christmas Day 1900, the small group of conservationists posed an alternative to the “side hunt,” a Christmas day activity in which teams competed to see who could shoot the most birds and small mammals. Instead, Chapman proposed to identify, count, and record all the birds they saw, founding what is now considered to be the most significant citizen-based conservation effort and more than a century-old institution. The Chilliwack Christmas Bird Count has been sponsored by Nature Chilliwack since 1970.

Chilliwack Bird Count (click on image for detailed map)

2023 Chilliwack Count Summary