It's part 2 of our interview with Cal Cuthbert out of Delta Beach, as the Great Backyard Bird Count event this weekend continues. Bird watchers are out everywhere and involved in the count. Cuthbert is regularly involved in another annual event for three weeks in late December. This weekend's count effort is done in somewhat of a different format than the earlier version. December's count is done in a 15-mile diameter radius at a specified location. He gives a description of what's involved in these programs.

"You just never know what's going to show up, when it's going to show up, and how many," says Cuthbert. "That's kind of the fun thing about it. These bird counts give you a snapshot picture of what is going on with bird populations regionally, locally. And the more that these counts are undertaken by people, the more detailed information you can get on the distribution and status of birds. Are we seeing more of some species? Are we seeing less of them? That kind of lends to questions."

Cuthbert says when this data is entered, it, ultimately, is made available to many researchers and people who are interested in trying to glean as much information as they can from this. 

He notes the December count is done at that time of year because it's during the non-breeding season. 

"It's when birds aren't nesting or anything like that, and it gives you a snapshot of the bird population at this time of year in this part of the world," continues Cuthbert. "Now, further south, the Christmas bird count is held right through the Americas. Many species of our birds, when they're not nesting or breeding in Canada, migrate south. These bird counts pick up a lot of information in the southern United States, Central America, and South America where a lot of our breeding birds end up in the winter months. So, they get a lot of good information from that, as well."

Cuthbert says there aren't as many species in our part of the world from the middle of December to the middle of January in southern Manitoba, as there are in Guatemala, seeing as that's where many of our birds are overwintering. 

"It gives you a bigger North American perspective of where the birds are and what numbers there are," adds Cuthbert. 

Stay posted for tomorrow's Part 3 story with Cuthbert.