Some firsts and 'surprises' in Yukon's annual bird count

Yukon birders are seeing more and more "surprises" popping up in their annual Christmas bird count and it may be attributable to a warming climate, says the headof the local bird club.

Yukon Bird Count president Cameron Eckert says several birds, spotted this year around Yukon,are rarely, if ever,seen in the territoryin the dead of winter, such as a fox sparrow, a bufflehead (duck), and a robin.

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"We do see species like this sort of testing the limits of climate and range," said Yukon Bird Club president Cameron Eckert. "So, small changes in temperature over time, open water, habitat and we are monitoring these changes in bird populations."

Christmas bird counts areorganized in communities across North America, including many in Yukon,through December.Volunteers go out on a certain day and record all the species they see. It's a way of tracking the health ofbird populations over time.

"Not only is it a fun and enjoyable activity, you're really contributing to knowledge of our birds, and conservation," Eckert said. He estimates about 120 to 130 people took part in Yukon this year.

Some firsts

Besides the fox sparrow spotted at Haines Junction, and the robin in Whitehorse, Eckert says some notablesightings in Yukon this year included a ring-necked duck, and a horned grebe at Johnsons Crossing a first for the Yukon Christmas count.

Another first was theglaucous gull Eckerthimself saw at JohnsonsCrossing, the day before somebody spotted one 100 kilometres away, in Whitehorse.The species is more typically found in the high Arctic and is "very rare" in southern Yukon, hesaid.

"Tohave one show up in mid-winter is just phenomenal," he said.

Eckert'spersonal highpoint this year, however, was when he and some other birders stumbled on a boreal owl in Tagish being harassedby a bunch of mountain chickadees.

"To find a boreal owl in the middle of the day, in winter, I meanthat's hardly ever happened in my life.And for it to happen on a Christmas count was a real thrill. You're out theretrying to find birds and here you find this beautiful owl.

"It seems in every count, every time you go out, there is a special moment."

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