They may be down on previous years, but second best in the whole of Canada isnt to be sniffed at.
The preliminary results from the 111th annual Ladner Christmas Bird Count which takes in south Richmond recorded 140 different species during the Dec. 27 event.
Last year, the local count hit the top in the country, with 152 species logged.
However, the slightly lower number this year will likely mean the Ladner count finishing second nationally behind Victoria, which recorded 142.
Local organizer Jude Grass said that, despite the drop in numbers, there were many highlights this year.
It was great to see the snowy owls back, we havent seen them for a couple of years, said Grass, explaining that the bird is an eruptive species that can disappear for a time before appearing again.
We spotted 35, mostly in the Ladner to Boundary Bay area. Theyve obviously had a good summer for feeding and breeding.
Sightings of humming birds were also up and it could be a record year for them.
Grass said the race to the top of the national bird count charts usually goes between Ladner and Victoria.
They have such good land over there and they have a lot more people counting, she added.
The official results will not be known until later this year.
About 90 volunteers made up of birding club amateurs, biologists and professional consultants formed 12 teams to count all the different species in the local event.
They provided data for the wildlife society Audubon, with counts happening all over North America in the winter when the winged animals fly south from the Arctic in search of warmer climates.
The origin of Christmas bird counts dates back to the 1800s in Massachusetts, she said. Prior to that, it was, ironically, an annual bird hunt.
