Dear Canimites,
Recent cool weather has kept the birds hanging about the feeders and suet blocks, taking their turns at the easy grub.
A number of people report mixed flocks of slate-coloured and Oregon juncos overwintering, this being the first year in many they have done that here at Canim.
Logs rolling out
Logging trucks are a frequent sight on Canim-Hendrix Lake Road, and Kelly Powell of West Fraser says roughly 50 loads a day of spruce and balsam are coming west out of the high country.
Pioneer Logging is working the Hendrix Lake area, while McNeil & Sons Logging and Henderson Contracting are drawing out the Boss Creek Road from the slopes of Big Timothy Mountain. This will continue until load restrictions come on, usually in early March.
Kelly says the valleys they are logging have been hit hard by beetles. Up to 75 per cent of these big mature trees have been killed and were standing dead. Most are suitable for dimensional lumber, but some poorer quality and twisted logs are going to the OSB plant in 100 Mile House.
Of the remaining 25 per cent, which are green, he says one to two loads a day are travelling north to Williams Lake as peelers.
Community club bursary
The Canim Community Club (CCC) has decided to award a bursary of $1,000 annually to a student graduating from Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School who is going on to a post-graduate program or apprenticeship.
Students from the area served by the club will receive preference and, thereafter, financial need will be considered. The award will be advertised on the school’s website, and the winning student will be selected by the Scholarship Selection Committee at PSO.
However, to obtain the funds, the student must first contact the CCC with proof of their registration for further studies and tuition paid.
Backyard Bird Count
The Great Backyard Bird Count will take place Feb. 14 -17.
The event, sponsored in part by Bird Studies Canada, gathers bird sighting information around the world in a massive public effort. Scientists say the count is “a tremendous piece of citizen science,” which helps track the health of birds on a scale that would never be otherwise possible.
It helps researchers understand what is happening to the physical world. In 2013, bird watchers from 111 countries on all seven continents participated, logging 35 million bird sightings.
You don’t have to be an expert, just someone who can watch for 15 minutes on one or more of the days of the count, and then register sightings online. Check it out by searching Great Backyard Bird Count on Google.
That’s all for now. Until next time, here’s wishing you many blessings.