Photo: George Clulow

We’ve been getting many enquiries from members about registration for the AGM and Extension Trip.

We’re doing things a little differently this year.

Registration will open April 2 for both the Cranbrook Conference and the Southern Alberta Extension. There will be two Extension Trips offered, one before the AGM and one afterwards. Both trips are identical; the post-conference simply reverses the route of the pre-conference trip.

Full details will be published here in mid-March to coincide with the publication of the March issue of BC Birding, which will also contain all the details.

However, you can book your Cranbrook area accommodation now. Listed accommodations are offering conference rates.

A cross-border birding festival is something to celebrate. Join with our Washington State neighbours to experience the splendours of our shared waterway, the Salish Sea, during the Wings Over Water festival held in Blaine on March 11, 12, and 13, 2016.

Preparations for this season’s Christmas Bird Counts are underway. You’ll find the dates we know so far under the CBC’s tab above. We’ll update continually as we receive more details of the various counts.

In addition, Christmas Bird Counts for Kids is a growing activity around the province, and they are ready to go in many locations. We’ve given them their own tab under CBC’s.

CBC4Kids is a fun, family-friendly birdwatching event that promotes nature appreciation and environmental stewardship.

Celebrate birds with youth and their families while building bird identification skills and contributing to important Citizen Science for bird conservation!

Details of CBC4Kids locations are found here and by clicking the CBC4Kids logo above.

Bird Studies Canada is looking for Vancouver area birders and members of the public to participate in this important study to learn more about bird/building collisions in downtown Vancouver.

Expect large kettles of Turkey Vultures on this two-day trip.

Notice of this Two-Day Field Trip for Members was published back in April, but we’ve heard that a number of members may have missed or overlooked the opportunity to sign up for this exciting trip.

Leader Dave Aldcroft has offered to open an additional ten places. If you’d like to join the ten hawkwatchers already booked, reserve your place with Dave at the email address below – first come, first served.

Here’s the original notice:

East Sooke Hawkwatch
September 26 – 27
Day 1 will focus on the Hawkwatch in East Sooke Park. A total of 14 species of raptors can be seen during fall migration, including Broad-winged Hawk, which is on many people’s wish lists. No guarantees, but we’ll give it a shot. Turkey Vulture kettles of up to 1000 birds are a spectacle, and good numbers of Red-tails, Cooper’s and Sharpies are also common.
Day 2 will visit Victoria area hotspots and a search for Skylarks if required. The order of the days may be reversed to offer the best opportunity from the hawkwatch site.
Leader: Dave Aldcroft
Email: dsaldcroft@shaw.ca
Tel: 250 743 3487

How the Trips Work
BCFO two-day field trips are member-led, but participants make their own arrangements for accommodation, food, and travel.
Day 1: am birding; pm birding, evening get together (see below).
Day 2: am birding, pm optional birding.
Carpooling is encouraged, and for the 2 days’ birding will be arranged on the morning of Day 1.
Register in advance
Important: Register at least two weeks in advance. Email or phone the trip leader with names and numbers of participants. The leader will give specific details of when and where to meet.
If needed, additional leaders may be recruited to keep group sizes small.
Cost per two-day event
Members:     $10.00 per person
Non-members:    $40.00* incl. BCFO membership. BCFO general memberships are family memberships.

Priority booking will be given to members. Should the trip fill up, non-members will be placed on a waitlist.

The Social Side
At the end of Day 1, where possible, leaders will make arrangements for participants to meet for dinner at a nearby restaurant to recap the day, tally species seen, and confirm arrangements for Day 2.

Next year we’ll be heading to the East Kootenay and the City of Cranbrook – May 27th, 28th, 29th, 2016. Mark your calendars!

Located in the Rocky Mountain Trench, Cranbrook sits between the Rockies to the east, and the Purcell Mountains to the west. With the Kootenay River flowing in the valley bottom, the huge diversity of habitats here offers a fabulous variety of birds. Extensive wetlands, grasslands and open forests, along with mountain habitats at various elevations will ensure memorable birding in the East Kootenay.

Canal Flats wetlands, north of Cranbrook.
Photo: PictureBC, BC Gov Photos

The Rocky Mountain Naturalists are our partners in Cranbrook and have the detailed local knowledge needed to make the venue a birding success. We’re already working with them to plan a full roster of AGM field trips you will not want to miss.

We’re also doing prep work on our pre-conference 2-day field trip – likely the Creston Valley, and the post-conference extension targeting Southern Alberta. Stay tuned!

For preliminary information about the location of the AGM and accommodations, check the Events tab above or the link here.