Huron Fringe Field Naturalists enjoy fascinating birding presentation

The Huron Fringe Field Naturalists were treated to fascinating history and facts, beautiful photographs and remarkable stories, as long-time club member and life-long birder, James Turland, shared his passion at the meeting, Thursday.

Turland is generous with his time and talents, leading hikes for the local nature club, the Bruce Birding Club and the Huron Fringe Birding Festival, in addition to organizing the annual Kincardine Christmas Bird Count and contributing to many bird-related research projects.

Begun in 1900, the Christmas Bird Count is the longest-running citizen science program in North America, contributing vast amounts of data which is used to assess the health of bird populations and guide conservation efforts.

Each count covers a circle 24 kilometres in diameter. Teams of volunteers register in advance and are organized to survey the area for a full day. The Kincardine count was started by Huron Fringe Field Naturalists members Martin Parker, John Miles and Dave Schaus in 1984. More than 130 species have been identified.

There are 11 count circles in Bruce and Grey counties with this year’s Kincardine event taking place Dec. 14. Homeowners are also encouraged to observe birds at their feeders and record the species and numbers.

To find a count and register to participate, visit www.birdscanada.org/bird-science/christmas-bird-count.

Turland shared interesting facts and photos of some of the more remarkable species observed in past counts.

He also demonstrated the various features of a popular bird identification application (app), Merlin. Once loaded on a cell phone, this free guide assists users to identify birds by comparing recordings of sounds and photos against a large database.
Club members enjoyed Turland’s enthusiasm for his subject and engaging stories of the pursuit of uncommon species. They would like him to return to demonstrate other birding apps and share more stories.

In other club business, Christine Roberts thanked members for their generous donations of time and food as the club hosted members of nature clubs in the Ontario Nature Great Lakes West Region, Nov. 4, in Kincardine.

She also reported on conservation efforts and upcoming trail improvements at the George G. Newton Nature Reserve which the club stewards.

With Christmas on the horizon, Roberts encouraged members to show care for the environment through mindful shopping and using their imaginations to reduce holiday waste. Citing a recent article by “Washington Post” climate advice columnist Michael J. Coren, which claims that “social comparisons” can be a powerful influence on behaviour, she encouraged everyone to set an example of climate care for family, friends and neighbours.

The club’s next meeting will be Tuesday, Feb. 27, at 11:30 a.m. in the Point Clark Community Centre. This will be the annual potluck lunch and photo contest gathering, and will feature a presentation on the Huron Fringe Birding Festival by Doug Pedwell. Members are encouraged to invite family, friends and neighbours to enjoy a good meal and learn about the club and its activities.

Contact information for inquiries can be found at hffn.huronstewardship.ca/ or on Facebook.



James Turland gives a birding presentation for the Huron Fringe Field Naturalists, Thursday, in Point Clark; photo by Jeni Pepper