Bird enthusiasts are flocking to Mount Robson to spot all the feathers they can find.
The biennial Mount Robson Bird Blitz happens June 8-10 at the massive mountain east of Prince George on Highway 16. This formerly annual event now happens every two years and this is the latest edition.
"Bird enthusiasts from far and wide come to enjoy the beautiful spring scenery as well as the opportunity to observe and count the park's incredible bird population," said a statement from BC Parks describing the event. "This has become a popular event and provides long-term trend data on the diversity of bird species in the park. Approximately 170 different bird species have been recorded."
It has been going on for almost 30 years. The Prince George Naturalist Club (put out the word that now was the time for birders to build the nearby getaway into their plans.
"This year, participants will gather before or on the evening of Friday, June 8," said a club spokesperson. "Birding area sign-up will be at Robson Meadows campground (that night). Signs will be posted at the campground entrance to indicate the signup location."
Anyone interested in attending, or wishing further information, can contact longtime blitz organizer Gail Ross at [email protected]. She is the founder of both the Mount Robson and the Manning Park blitzes.
"I began them because I knew the natural history community had a lot of knowledge on these parks and if we could add to that with some consistent wildlife information from naturalists - particularly birders - it would only contribute to the overall knowledge of these wonderful places," Ross said. "By sharing their skills and contributing to the overall knowledge, we now have all these years of data."
The abnormal weather this spring (unusually large snowpack at the end of the season followed by unusually warm May temperatures) is expected to have some sort of effect on the amounts of freshet water, foliage growth, and ecosystem factors for birds like predators and food sources, so birders are already anticipating interesting and unpredictable data this year.
