Birders gathered in flocks on the weekend to share their love and knowledge of birdwatching throughout Grand Bahama to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day, also known as Global Big Day, on May 13.  

Grand Bahama Island Birders (GBIB) Public Relations Officer Gail Woon explained that the day marks one of the peaks of bird migration around the world.

"The highest amount of birds that will be migrating will be on Saturday, May 13 and that's them going back up north and then them coming down south for the winter will be October 14," she said.

Woon added that the date allows birders to witness species that are rare or new to the island, but emphasized that World Migratory Bird Day is more than just birdwatching.

She said analyzing birds' migratory patterns and areas they frequent help to understand the health of surrounding ecosystems.

"They go according to temperature and climate events," said Woon.

"It can be a problem if a bird that normally isn't in an area appears. So, that could be a danger, or maybe the food sources that they're used to aren't there. What we're finding is that, not just birds, but all creatures are trying to figure out what to do in this changing world of climate change."

To create awareness and an interest in birding, GBIB and Bahamas National Trust (BNT) held a free birdwatching presentation at the Rand Nature Centre with the support of the Ministry of Tourism (MOT) on May 12.

MOT Sustainable Tourism Representative Aulenna Robinson noted that birding is a popular eco-tourism activity that the ministry hopes will gain traction on the island.

"They [tourists] like to do what the locals are doing, especially locals [who] would be able to identify new areas," she said.

"It would really open up the birdwatching opportunities for tourists ... because we would have that knowledge already."

GBIB Education Officer Martha Cartwright illustrated the vast species of birds that can be spotted in The Bahamas.

"[There are] about 10,011 species of birds on the planet," she said.

"Three hundred and fifty different species have been seen in The Bahamas alone, and no one single person has ever seen all 350 of these birds..."

A bird's size and shape are quick ways to identify its type while its color pattern and other details pinpoint its specific species.

The aspiring birders were guided around the nature center as they were given first-hand experience on how to use their equipment, how to imitate bird sounds, and how to identify birds such as thrashers and doves.

Vonya Rahming, a beginner birder, said the presentation made her eager to start birding as a new hobby.

"I have horrible anxiety, so this is a very good way of relaxing by focusing on nature," she said.

"I definitely will be back. I will be outside looking for birds."

The following day, GBIB members spread across Grand Bahama to watch and analyze the peak migration.

GBIB President Delores Kellmann explained that this is done with birders worldwide to assess the entirety of the bird population with the statistics, then collected and placed on the Cornell University site E-bird.

Kellman noted High Rock, Pelican Point, Grand Bahama Community Park, William's Town, Dover Sound, Holmes Rock, and Bahama Beach are a few "hotspots" for bird watching.

With a team of 14 birders, 2,879 birds of 86 species were recorded with Laughing Gulls being the largest group seen with a count of 1,357. But also notable were Baltimore Orioles, Upland and White-rumped Sandpipers, which are not common sights on the island.

"We tend to see what species are more in abundance or dying out," she said.

Though Grand Bahama's forests are recovering, Kellman noted that there are numerous ways Bahamians can attract and assist migrating birds such as planting trees, installing bird feeders, or putting out water sources.

The post Local birders celebrate World Migratory Bird Day appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

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