Bird Babble Podcast

10/01/2023

Episode 28: 2022 Christmas Bird Counts - is now available!

This episode is all about the 2022 Christmas Bird Counts (CBC) that took place in Victoria, Sidney, Sooke and Duncan B.C. and the many volunteers of the Rocky Point Bird Observatory (RPBO) who participate in the count days.

Victoria CBC Coordinator Ann Nightingale provides us with a little history of the Christmas Bird Count, we stopped by the Victoria Christmas Bird Count for Kids and chatted to 3 year old Archer who participated this year and we also talked to RPBO's Education Director Julie Howe and RPBO's new Lead Educator Caitlin Acquroff about the event.

The CBC preliminary results are starting to trickle in and we share some numbers and interesting notes about each area.

We finish up the podcast with some upcoming events that RPBO is planning as we head into another busy year of birds!!

The Bird Babble Podcast is available anywhere you get your podcasts or you can listen here:

A podcast by volunteers of the Rocky Point Bird Observatory located in Metchosin, BC on southern Vancouver Island. Bird Babble is a podcast aimed at providing the listeners with an informative yet personable look at what goes on at the observatory. Focus...

18/12/2022

Getting a little one’s thoughts about the Rocky Point Bird Observatory Christmas Bird Count for Kids event yesterday made my day! 🥰🥰

08/07/2022

Episode 27: It’s MAPS Baby Bird Season with Jannaca Chick! - is now available!
The first Rocky Point Bird Observatory project for 2022 is now underway and Jannaca Chick joins us for a conversation about how the MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) project is going so far and a bit about her recent travels.

We'll also update you on the 2022 Great Canadian Birdathon, the Cowichan Bring Back the Bluebirds project and what's coming up at RPBO!

The Bird Babble Podcast is available anywhere you get your podcasts or you can listen here: https://birdbabblerpbo.podbean.com

A podcast by volunteers of the Rocky Point Bird Observatory located in Metchosin, BC on southern Vancouver Island. Bird Babble is a podcast aimed at providing the listeners with an informative yet personable look at what goes on at the observatory. Focus...

08/06/2022

Yesterday was Bluebird Day!! 🐦 We had the opportunity to watch the banding of five 16-day-old Western Bluebirds, part of the Cowichan Bring Back the Bluebirds project. These nestlings, along with their parents, were translocated from Washington State in the hopes they will repopulate the Cowichan Valley which once had a thriving population before loss of habitat. Each nestling receives a numbered aluminum band as well as specific color bands so they can be individually identified from afar. They’ll be fledging in just a few days. More info on the project is here: https://cowichanbluebird.wordpress.com/

22/05/2022

Last Friday the Bird Babbler's embarked on another Big Day, taking part in the 2022 Great Canadian Birdathon to raise money for Birds Canada and the Rocky Point Bird Observatory. With two other members of Team Rocky Pointers we started at 5am and walked the Great Canadian Trail from Goldstream Heights back to Humpback Reservoir, back up the Malahat to retrieve the car, Panama Flats for the Wilson’s Phalarope, Beckwith Park, Swan Lake and Esquimalt Lagoon. 21 klm and 13 hours later we had found 94 species of birds. Pretty good!! Here’s a link to our EBird trip report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/58023

Please consider making a donation to help us help birds! Here’s the link:
https://www.canadahelps.org/me/RhjnZ6a

19/05/2022

Tomorrow, May 20th, The Bird Babbler's are taking part in the 2022 Great Canadian Birdathon to raise money for Birds Canada and the Rocky Point Bird Observatory. We’ll be walking the Great Canadian Trail from Goldstream Heights back to Goldstream Park and counting as many birds and as many bird species as we can, a friendly challenge with other teams from the Rocky Pointers. Please consider making a donation to help us help birds! Here’s the link:
https://www.canadahelps.org/me/RhjnZ6a

04/05/2022

Episode 26 - Reaching Out - Community Education with Julie Howe - is now available!
Over the winter, long-time RPBO volunteer Julie Howe took on the role of Education Director for the Rocky Point Bird Observatory and she brings a ton of energy and passion to the position. Julie talks to us about her plans for education programs and events plus the upcoming second annual Victoria Bird Week presented by the Rocky Point Bird Observatory, a week long event ending with a World Migratory Bird Day celebration at Beaver Lake Park on Saturday, May 14th!
We'll also update you on what's been going on and more importantly, what's coming up at RPBO!
The Bird Babble Podcast is available anywhere you get your podcasts or you can listen here: https://birdbabblerpbo.podbean.com

05/12/2021

Episode 25 - Ending 2021 with a Hoot! - is now available!
Sooooooo many Northern Saw-whet Owls!! Lots of other amazing birds and adventures during 2021 at the Rocky Point Bird Observatory too! On this episode Ann Nightingale and Jannaca Chick join us with a wrap-up of the banding season and to do a bit of a deep dive into the second busiest year of Northern Saw-whet Owl banding at RPBO.
Plus, all about MOTUS!

The Bird Babble Podcast is available anywhere you get your podcasts or you can listen here: https://birdbabblerpbo.podbean.com

A podcast by volunteers of the Rocky Point Bird Observatory located in Metchosin, BC on southern Vancouver Island. Bird Babble is a podcast aimed at providing the listeners with an informative yet personable look at what goes on at the observatory. Focus...

10/10/2021

Today was World Migratory Bird Day and the Bird Babblers participated in a Big Sit with others to raise money for the Rocky Point Bird Observatory.
63 species observed and over $5000 raised so far!
Donations are appreciated. Here’s the link:

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/bird-studies-canada/p2p/birdathon21/team/the-rocky-pointers/member/the-bird-babblers-big-day/

07/09/2021

Episode 24 - Summer School for Interns - Liam Singh and Rebecca Reader-Lee - is now available!

While school was out for most students a couple of young Rocky Point Bird Observatory volunteers spent their summer as interns, learning how to band passerines during the Fall Migration project. We talk with Liam Singh and Rebecca Reader-Lee about how the intern experience has been and put them through a lightning round of questions.

The Bird Babble Podcast is available anywhere you get your podcasts or you can listen here: https://birdbabblerpbo.podbean.com

25/08/2021

Have you been wondering what ever happened to the juvenile American Crow that was banded at the Rocky Point Bird Observatory Pedder Bay banding station back in July? We're very pleased to report that it was released from BC SPCA Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre (Wild ARC) last Wednesday! Wild ARC reports that his feathers eventually grew back and his body condition improved. Here's a photo they sent to us.
You can hear all about this wayward crow on Episode 22: Some Interesting Visitors at Pedder Bay.
The Bird Babble Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts or you can listen here : https://birdbabblerpbo.podbean.com

16/08/2021

Episode 23 - From MAPS to Fall Migration, Summer is here! - is now available!
The Rocky Point Bird Observatory projects are in full swing! Tune in for the latest updates on what's happening with MAPS, Seawatch and the Fall Migration projects as well as an update about the recent Cowichan Valley Bring Back the Bluebirds translocation!
The Bird Babble Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts or you can listen here : https://birdbabblerpbo.podbean.com

A podcast by volunteers of the Rocky Point Bird Observatory located in Metchosin, BC on southern Vancouver Island. Bird Babble is a podcast aimed at providing the listeners with an informative yet personable look at what goes on at the observatory. Focus...

29/07/2021

Episode 22 - Some Interesting Visitors at Pedder Bay - is now available!
On this episode we provide updates on the Rocky Point Bird Observatory projects that have been underway for the past few months as well as what's happening now that the Fall Migration project is up and running.
The Pedder Bay banding station also had a very special visitor! The Honourable Janet Austin, Lieutenant Governor of BC stopped by to see the amazing research being done by RPBO and Pedder Bay also had a few surprises in the nets too!
The Bird Babble Podcast is available anywhere you get your podcasts or you can listen here: https://birdbabblerpbo.podbean.com

A podcast by volunteers of the Rocky Point Bird Observatory located in Metchosin, BC on southern Vancouver Island. Bird Babble is a podcast aimed at providing the listeners with an informative yet personable look at what goes on at the observatory. Focus...

29/07/2021

Did you know that the banders at the Rocky Point Bird Observatory do a weekly BLOG during the Fall Migration project? Keep up-to-date on the goings-on, stats and some fantastic photos! And be sure to check back weekly (usually every Thursday). Link on the RPBO website and here: https://rpboblog.blogspot.com
Bookmark it!!

Welcome to the 2021 edition of the RPBO blog! As in past years, we (the banders) will be updating this page weekly with highlights, totals, and general goings-on at the two migration monitoring stations that we operate: Rocky Point (restricted access) and Pedder Bay. This year we are pleased to welc...

27/07/2021

The Honourable Janet Austin, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia paid a visit to the Rocky Point Bird Observatory banding station at Pedder Bay on Saturday. Tune in to the next podcast to find out all about it plus a special Bird Babble Chirp!

Link in our bio and here: https://birdbabblerpbo.podbean.com