It looks like Ladner may once again finish tops in Canada in the annual Christmas Bird Count.
Birders from Richmond, Ladner and Tsawwassen took part in this year's count, which took place on Dec. 23.
Co-ordinator Jude Grass said the preliminary number for this year's Ladner count is 144 species, with another couple of species requiring verification.
Last year, the count tied for top spot in Canada with Victoria, both recording 140 species. This year's Victoria count stands at 139 species.
"The weather was not bad on count day. I think most teams were very pleased with what they got," said Grass.
The event was part of a larger tally involving many communities over a two-week period by Bird Studies Canada, a non-profit conservation organization.
The counts are tabulated in a large-scale western hemisphere count organized by the Audubon Society.
The wide array of birds spotted in the Ladner count, which also encompassed parts of Richmond, Tsawwassen and Point Roberts, included many types of waterfowl, such as geese, swans and ducks, as well as raptors, including eagles.
Several types of owls were spotted, including barn owls, great horned owls, barred owls, long and short-eared owls, and northern saw-whets. Noticeably absent was the western screech owl, whose numbers appear to be in decline.
Meanwhile, record numbers of hummingbirds, including the wintering Anna's hummingbird, were spotted, while many woodpeckers were also seen.
One birder specializes in looking for species in the Vancouver Landfill. Those results, which will likely include a large number of bald eagles and gulls, are also expected shortly. Among the rare birds spotted and confirmed include a Bohemian wax-wing and ruddy turnstone; others still need verification.
