Updated: Sept. 13, 2023, 5 A.M.
Vancouver, B.C.
Autumn is a very wonderful time to explore about migratory birds
Mildred German
Birding With Me started in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As many faced the impacts of the pandemic, including the isolation primarily due to the social distancing and lockdown protocols, many of those reflecting about science and the natural world unleashed their inner birder to connect with nature in a big city such as Vancouver. Organized collaboratively and provided free of cost to the public by the Stanley Park Ecology Society, Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture, including the Canadian Wildlife Service and Birds Canada, Birding With Me activities are held in Stanley Park, Queen Elizabeth Park, and many other different birding hotspots in Metro Vancouver. Birding With Me also have other groups and series including Queer, Youth, Women, Femmes, and more. http://www.stanleyparkecology.ca
BIRDWATCHING WITH KRIS CU
Twenty-six year old Filipino youth, and birdwatching expert Kris Cu, is a Simon Fraser University (SFU) graduate with a Biology major. He came to Canada from Quezon City, Philippines when he was 15 years old. He was exposed to birdwatching at an early age, seeing numerous colourful birds and influenced by his father who was an avid birdwatcher with the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines. His childhood love for nature and animals, including dinosaurs grew until he grew up.
In Canada, the American Dipper is one (out of the many) of Cu’s favorite birds. A slate-gray in color, the American Dipper is North America’s only truly aquatic songbird that also walks underneath the water. He currently works with Birds Canada as the British Columbia Outreach Specialist. In addition to guiding the Birding With Me groups, his roles also include Communications, Outreach, Digital Media (photography, video, social media, and audio), and Technical Support for The Warblers, the podcast by Birds Canada. In November 2023, Cu will be one of the featured hosts for the podcast show to talk about, one in particular, the Birding With Me series. More details on The Warblers podcast can be found on their website: https://www.birdscanada.org/warblerspodcast.
As one of the Birding With Me activity leaders,Cu initiated the Filipino group. He explained how he noticed how in Canada not many people of colour, including Filipinos, have the privilege to access nature activities and in 2021 started Birding With Me: Welcoming The Filipino Community. The group’s most recent event on September 9, 2023 was well-attended.
Guiding the activity guide, he spoke about the birds residing and flying by Queen Elizabeth Park. He also talked about the changing seasons, the birds’ migration to the South for shelter, food, and survival as the weather gets colder in the winter season, and also how to spot a bird habitat and how to protect it. Cu came prepared, bringing several binoculars to lend to participants. He thoroughly explained how binoculars work, especially for the first-time birders. An inclusive event, it was fun and engaging learning activity on a sunny day.
To add more to the wonderful experiences, birdwatching provides quiet environments, fresh air, nature, wildlife, and access to the outdoors. All these made birdwatching one of the popular activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is not surprising birdwatching is still embraced and explored by many— it is such a relaxing and rewarding recreational activity or pastime.
THE MIGRATION OF THE BIRDS
Woodpeckers and chickadees are some of the Autumn birds that delightfully visit many backyards for food and shelter in Vancouver, BC. Yet, in British Columbia (BC), some of its birding hotspots are nestled along the Strait of Georgia, the Vancouver Island, Fraser Valley, Fraser River, amongst others. For first timers, the BC Bird Trail website www.bcbirdtrail.ca provides resources on many North America’s best bird watching spots and opportunities, including information on trip planning for daytrips, or weekend getaway excursions.
As the weather gets chilly and the air crisp, many birds migrate to the Southern Hemisphere to access food, and shelter, for their survival during the winter months. Migratory birds themselves are living testament to migration being a natural process of the survival of their species.