The presentations at next Tuesday's meeting of the Burke Mountain Naturalists will focus on fish and fowl.
The first part of the evening will feature a slide show summarizing the results of the Tri-Cities' Audubon Christmas Bird Count, which is now in its 22nd year. For this count, BMN members join forces with the Alouette Field Naturalists for a one-day count of all the birds seen and heard within a 15-mile circle.
The data are contributed to the Audubon Society's database, which includes 2,300 similar counts across Canada and the U.S., as well as many countries in Central and South America. These censuses provide valuable insights into trends in winter bird populations over time. Last year's local count was notable because it documented a record number of Anna's hummingbirds, a species that did not occur here until just a few years ago. This year, hopes are high for recording the flocks of rare Bohemian waxwings that have been frequenting DeBoville Slough and Pitt Polder in December.
At the same meeting, Craig Orr will present a short video recently produced for Watershed Watch Salmon Society on how salmon fisheries can be made more sustainable by being "stock-selective." This way, more fish would be harvested from healthy runs, and so protecting the threatened runs in BC.
The Jan. 13 meeting marks the 26th anniversary of the Burke Mountain Naturalists, whose first meeting was held in January 1989, and will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the hall of Como Lake United Church, located on the corner of Marmont Street and King Albert Avenue in Coquitlam. Everyone is welcome to attend and there is no admission fee. For further information, call 604-936-4108 or 604-461-3864, or visit www.bmn.bc.ca.
