The 6th annual WRN Great Backyard Bird Count outing was held on Saturday February 17, 2018. It was well attended with about 20 people at each of the stops and a core group that made it to all 3 locations. Each host made sure that we were well supplied with coffee and snacks while viewing the birds.
At the Cappleman property we watched a variety of birds coming to the feeders with plenty of window space and lots of activity.
At the rare Eco Centre we went behind the building to watch activity at the feeders and in the nearby trees. A pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers showed up, with observers commenting on how rare that would have been a few years ago.
At Lakeside Park, Mary Ann Vanden Elzen led a short walk while describing the park's history and some of the recent projects that the city and local residents have undertaken there. Unfortunately the birds were smarter than we were, and didn't bother to show up.
After the walk in Lakeside Park, we descended on the Holvey house for pizza and cookies, where the main birding question was how many constantly moving House Sparrows were hiding out in their backyard hedges.
For a full report on the day and lots more photos, see David Gascoigne's blog: Great Backyard Bird Count 2018.