Birders, novice bird watchers, and outdoor enthusiasts will be pleased to hear that Nature Moose Jaw is planning to host a couple bird-themed programs to conclude the organization’s 2023 season.
All of Nature Moose Jaw’s events are currently offered "free as a bird" without cost.
The Sunday, Dec. 10 workshop will begin at 1:30 p.m. at The Kiwanis River Park Pavilion & Lodge, which is where Nature Moose Jaw currently holds all its scheduled events.
To finish the year’s programming, this workshop will be followed by the 63rd annual Christmas Bird Count scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 17.
Bird feeding workshop
For Nature Moose Jaw’s upcoming workshop, members and new guests will meet at the pavilion to hear a presentation by Kimberly Epp, who will run the program.
“There will be a short presentation on bird feeders and feeding birds. Then, they are going to be making suet blocks that they can take home,” said Rich Pickering, Nature Moose Jaw’s president.
These suet blocks can be sculpted into several different shapes, including stand-alone forms and cubes designed to fit inside an existing bird feeder.
“It’s a good (feeder) for woodpeckers and other seed eaters,” explained Pickering, who noted that a wide variety of birds in the area will appreciate the suet. “Even sparrows will use it, depending on what else is around for food.”
The suet feeders may not attract species that primarily eat a diet of insects or fruit and berries, but Pickering said there’s a wide assortment of native local species who thrive on seeds. These species include woodpeckers, of which 11 species reside in Saskatchewan and species such as Downy Woodpeckers are more productive during the winter.
The feed provided at the workshop will meet the dietary preferences of most local birds. “Birds prefer black oil sunflower seeds…,” Pickering said as one example.
Following the presentation and workshop, guests are invited to visit the bird feeder that Nature Moose Jaw maintains in the park. Here, participants can hand-feed birds who frequent the site.
Pickering said there’s no specific trick or secret to hand-feeding the birds; attracting birds depends on what the birds are familiar with, although pine nuts do help attract some species.
“It’s more (about) what they are accustomed to. Down at the feeder, they’re used to (people). If you bring pine nuts down or other seeds and stand there calmly with them in your hand, they’ll come take it right out of your hand,” he said. “(Y)ou might get swarmed!”
Christmas Bird Count
Following the Dec. 10 workshop, one final event is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 17 when Nature Moose Jaw will hold its 63rd annual Christmas Bird Count.
“It’s part of the North American bird count, where people go out and count the number and species of birds. That information gets compiled every year. Then, biologists can use it to help determine population trends,” Pickering explained.
Moose Jaw is divided into zones for the count. Members select a zone and count the birds they find throughout the day.
“Individuals who can’t make it out to do the count can (observe their bird feeder) during the day to count how many different species come to the feeder. That’s useful information too,” said Pickering.
This information is submitted to Nature Saskatchewan, who forwards the revised data to Birds Canada for the updated annual Christmas Bird Count.
The Christmas Bird Count began in 1900 and is North America’s longest-running citizen science project. According to Birds Canada, people in more than 2,000 locations across the Western Hemisphere participate each year.
Last year’s count in Moose Jaw found 25 species and 1,746 individual birds. Pickering said all the local numbers are trending in the right direction with no reported declines in population.
The count will be an all-day event, and the best way to reach out is by contacting Nature Moose Jaw through Rich Pickering at [email protected] or Jeff Mander at [email protected]. Interested parties are asked to contact Nature Moose Jaw in advance so a time and location can be assigned.
For more information about the Christmas Bird Count, visit BirdsCanada.org.
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