December is rapidly approaching and what better excuse to escape the malls and seasonal madness than to participate in one or more Christmas Bird Counts?
You can check out the Province’s counts and count dates here. We update the page as we receive the information from the various count leaders.
Continuing the tradition for the last number of years, there are offerings of various Christmas Bird Counts 4 Kids as well. This page will be updated too as we receive new information.
The latest sets of accepted records of the BCFO Bird Records Committee are now posted here. Included in these records are four provincial first records, and one new addition to the provincial list.
You will also find the BCFO Rare Bird Report Form and the Provincial Review List under the BRC drop-down menu above or via the link here. Submissions of rare bird sightings in British Columbia are invited and encouraged.
Photo: Tom Lowery
After a prolonged recess our Featured Photographer Series is finally back on line with another superb gallery of stunning bird photographs. Our guest presenter, #15 in the series, is Michelle Lamberson of Kelowna. View her work HERE.
There are two recent developments from the BC Bird Records Committee to announce.
First, an interim BC Bird Records Committee Sightings Database is now available on this website.
Also, the Rare Bird Report Form for the submission of rare bird sightings is now even easier to use. The form is fillable on-line, and is submitted directly to the committee from the website.
Not a bird to report to the Bird Records Committee
The September 2017 issue of BC Birding, our newsmagazine, is now available in the Members Area. There are two online versions: a lighter version for quick download, and a higher-resolution version for printing on a home printer. Hard-copy subscribers will receive their copy by post as soon as possible.
In this 28-page edition you will find 33 fine photographs, BCFO news; BCFO trips reports, several features, updates on young birder activity, and regular columns.
Full reports on our excellent June AGM in Tumbler Ridge will be found in the upcoming BC Birding newsmagazine. We not only enjoyed fabulous birding, but saw first hand the evidence for the dinosaur origins of birds – Tumbler Ridge being BC’s premier location for dinosaur bones and trackways.
While we birders were outdoors looking up, others were clearly looking down with other targets in mind, and made an historic discovery. The day after our departure, BC’s first ever dinosaur skull was lifted from its discovery location on a local creek, and transported to the Tumbler Ridge Peace Region Palaeontology Research Centre. Read more here about BC’s first dinosaur skull.
Dr. Rick Lambert with his discovery.
Close-up view of part of the tyrannosaurid skull (like an Albertosaurus), – probably around 75 million years old. Note the long curving teeth.
Close-up of tooth
Tyrannosaurid skull outline
Congratulations to our Tumbler Ridge hosts on this significant and exciting find.