Birdwatching is a flexible and addictive hobby that’s been growing in popularity during the pandemic
Spring migration, winding down to retirement and the pandemic made a birder out of Diana Gibbs.
Birds Canada reports that the online bird checklist platform, eBird Canada, saw a 30 per cent jump in people submitting data between 2019 and 2020, says Jody Allair, the organization’s director of community engagement. The number jumped another 14 per cent to 31,961 users in 2021, he says. Birders can do their hobby in backyards, local parks, conservation areas – and many join birding tours to exotic locations around the world.
Ms. Freeman says the OFO started about 20 years ago with more science-focused participants but has since broadened its outreach and includes members at all levels of birding. “I got home, put it on the computer and I was absolutely stunned by the colours and details of this hummingbird I’d caught in midair,” he says. “There was a moment I thought, ‘This is something I would like to pursue.’”
Going to Point Pelee National Park in southwestern Ontario, one of the most popular places for birdwatching in Canada, is easier mid-week than on the crowded weekends, he adds. During spring migration, Mr. Skevington says he can see 30 species in a day at Point Pelee.“A few years ago, my son and my grandson and a friend and I went on what we call the chicken run. It was a trip out to Colorado in April to see Greater Prairie Chicken, Lesser Prairie Chicken, Sharp Tailed Grouse …” says Mr.