Off to see the swans! My day out in the field with the National office's birdwatching enthusiasts
Amy Wu, Helen Kim, Rosemary Park, Suzzette Chin (Photo by NCC)
After many cold and wet days of a long winter we woke up to a very sunny Sunday on March 30. A group of "wannabe" lady bird watchers from the National office piled in to one car and drove to Port Rowan to see the swans.
None of our job requirements lists "at least three to four years of bird watching preferred" or "able to identify different shrubs or trees would be an asset" but that doesn’t mean we lack enthusiasm! I have always felt extremely fortunate to work alongside Barb Jones, who’s not only good with numbers but is also an avid bird watcher and a great photographer. Barb also happens to live in Port Rowan, where thousands of swans can be seen during their peak migration time each spring. So every February I start asking, "When are the swans coming? Are they there yet?" When Barb told me that the swans were still there and the weather forecast called for a sunny Sunday, I asked few staff to join me for an excursion.
Norfolk, ON (Photo by NCC)
We were no different than a bunch of school kids, chatting away during the drive. As we started to notice road signs for Norfolk County and the Backus Heritage Conservation Area we got more excited. We all screamed as we passed the first Backus Block sign with the Nature Conservancy of Canada logo erected alongside the road, did a u turn, went back to the sign and even took a group photo using the timer!
We soon arrived at Barb’s, and as was expected she invited us in her car so we could watch the birds and take photos while she drove. "What’s that brown small bird, Barb?What about that black one? Oops it flew away!" were the common questions from me. When Barb pointed out ’s a baby bald eagle on the tree top, I just took her word for it since I couldn’t see the same thing she was seeing!
Swans in flight (Photo by NCC)
Our hope to get really close to thousands of swans was unsuccessful, as they had moved further inland. If it weren’t for Barb’s two high-powered binoculars and her camera equipped with a powerful scope we probably wouldn’t have been able see them all huddled together or distinguish different features of different birds while we drove around the Long Point area, including Big Creek National Wildlife Area and NCC's Big Creek Block.
Bird list (Photo by NCC)
As I was riding shotgun, I had the responsibility of recording all the birds we saw during the outing. I was amazed how many different birds we saw in a two-hour span. We were grateful to Barb for being our guide for the day as we learned a lot, and we felt good that we decided to come.
I don’t think I’ll be able to call myself a bird watcher anytime soon, but hey practice makes perfect, right? So as long as I ask help from colleagues like Barb, I am hoping one day I can lead a future group of wannbe bird watchers out to see the swans!
About the Author
Helen Kim is the manager of gift and database administration in NCC's National Finance Department in Toronto.
