DARE TO BIRD

Read the whole article at the Narwhal  HERE Is this truly a victory?! If so it is one that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The need for the government to protect the habitat of the last 3 Spotted Owls should be a given not something to be celebrated. However this is where we are and so I must say thank you to the Wilderness Committee and the  Spô'zêm  First Nation for working so hard to make this happen.  These owls have been failed by both the provincial and federal government. All we must do is to look to WA state, where even though populations have dwindled to under 500 birds... that we have done something gravely wrong here at the northern limit of their range. With only 3 wild birds this species is functionally extinct in my view. No captive birds have been successfully released into the wild. When these owls are gone after all the failed NDP promises of creating an endangered species act and not logging in old growth forests and breaking the Species At Risk Act (SARA); we wil

The 2021 Young Birder Awards were recently announced and young birders Evan Larson, Cameron  Montgomery, Daniel Graca and Sage Pasay were the much deserved recipients this year. To read more about these wonderful young people, click HERE Congratulations to them all! Young Birder Evan Larson - 1 of 4 of the 2021 YB recipients! 

This long weekend it snowed in Vancouver, which is a rare event. I ran out like a little kid during the Great Backyard Bird Count to find some birds. In the short 10 min drive from my house I saw 2 accidents on the road. Vancouver drivers don't handle the snow well... Here are some of the fruits of my labour... Fox Sparrows in Richmond - Photos: Melissa Hafting Spotted Towhees in Richmond - Photos: Melissa Hafting Dark-eyed Junco in Richmond - Photo: Melissa Hafting Song Sparrow in Richmond - Photo: Melissa Hafting Mourning Dove in snow in Richmond - Photo: Melissa Hafting Male Hairy Woodpecker in Richmond - Photo: Melissa Hafting Winter Wonderland in Richmond - Photo: Melissa Hafting

The Pileated Woodpecker is the  American Birding Association's (ABA) Bird of the Year. I was honoured  to have the (ABA) use my photo of a Pileated Woodpecker in their January 2021 issue of Birding Magazine . You can see a photo of it below: Also, I recently did an interview in celebration of  International Day of Women and Girls in Science (which is today Feb 11th) with  The Salish Sea School  (an awesome organization) in Washington State. You can read it HERE I will have some more news to share soon about a fun upcoming Audubon magazine feature. If you like hybrids like me you might want to check out a cool one HERE found recently in Castlegar. It is a Blue Jay x Steller's Jay!.

A few interesting bird stories from Canada and around the world: The Government of the NWT got fined 10,000$ for killing 12 Bank Swallow and their active nests. The Federal Government fined the Northwest Territories under the Species At Risk Act SARA) The Mayor of Delta George Harvie sends a letter to the Provincial Government to help protect the owls and hawks from harassment and their habitat at Brunswick Point. A Strata in Port Moody is leading the way on residential property by banning rodenticides! Florida Grasshopper Sparrows are making a comeback from the brink of extinction A new smart camera technology can prevent bird strikes at wind farms by 82%! A Snowy Owl stops in NYC and a crowd of 100 birders are effectively managed by Park Rangers  Listen to the podcast with ornithologist Dr. Drew Lanham "I worship every bird that I see" Reducing Pollution benefits billions of birds in NA according to eBird study Birds Canada releases a new Grassland Conservation Guide Link t

In the December 2020 issue of Birding Magazine there is a great article by Sabrina Hepburn about how to be safe when one is out solo birding. This article is especially important for women. Women have to be extra careful when out solo birding. It's just a fact of life as lone women are more likely to be sexually or physically attacked. Although women should be much more aware while out solo-birding they should still do it, if they enjoy it. There is a peace and oneness with nature one experiences while birding solo. One of the best trips of my life was a solo trip I did to Colorado and Kansas in search of grouse and finches. It is ironic how the author closes with the dangers of stepping on a rattlesnake alone. I have almost done the very thing at the top of Ramsey Canyon in AZ, which is about a 4.5 hour hike back down to the parking lot, much less a hospital. All these types of things one must consider when birding solo, be it man or woman. It is well worth the read for the tips