It's all Bird Talk

By Sarah Harasymchuk.

An array of dead birds, a swooping hawk and a bright telescope adorn the Interpretive Centre, which attracts many tourists in the summer months.

Tom Brighouse, secretary of the Shuswap Naturalist Club, helps manage the centre."

The purpose is to keep Salmon Arm aware of its need to keep in harmony with nature."

The centre's name stems from the fact that it is a place to go to interpret nature."

We're trying to interpret the natural values of the bay for anyone who will listen."

Brighouse has been in love with birds since he was six."

Oh, we were always looking for birds' nests," Brighouse reminisces. "We collected birds eggs.
That was before the age of enlightenment."

Brighouse grew up in the country with three sisters in England. Now that he has more free time in his retirement, he has travelled around the world looking at birds.

Some of the places he has been include Portugal, India, Pakistan and Costa Rica.He says the Interpretive Centre is a place for people to go who want to see the bay and find out about any kind of North American bird.

A computer in the centre plays the call of all types of birds, so visitors can walk along the trails and recognize the voices."

The first thing you do when you get out of the car is listen for birds," Brighouse says.Western grebes are a popular sight in Salmon Arm in the summer, one of the few breeding sites in Canada.

Although there were once more than five breeding grounds in B.C., just two are left due to interference by people, Brighouse says.

There are, on average, 50 grebes per year here. The best year saw 175 grebes and the worst five. The grebes are a rare bird to see, which makes them popular in Salmon Arm. They have dark feathers, long pointy beaks and eat slow-moving fish. Grebes continue to come here in part because of the large food supply. When they are excited and during mating, grebes do an energetic dance in the water.

Other common sights are osprey, ducks, geese and the great blue heron. Bald eagles and hawks nests can also be seen. Two hundred and thirty species of birds exist in this area.

Brighouse said some of the best places to spot the birds are from Peter Jannick Park, Heron View and the Prestige Inn. From these places there is a wide view of birds to the east, west and north, on land and water.

The Interpretive Centre also showcases many of these birds. The stuffed birds are purchased and donated.Brighouse said a question he is often asked is, "Are those real live dead birds?"

Other common questions are: "Where's the bathroom?" and "Why can't we have parking here?" he jokes. But he says tourists are definitely interested in nature."

It's all very exciting to lovers of nature," Brighouse said. "Natural values of Salmon Arm Bay are for everybody to find out."

The Interpretive Centre has an uncommon practice of counting birds weekly and has done so for the past eight years.

Doris and Frank Kime have been counting birds for more than 17 years."

What you miss, you miss and what you see, you see," Frank said.

He said it is important to count birds from the same location with the same telescope each year. He visits the Apple Yard, Raven and the Lakeshore Drive pull-in for his weekly counts.

The Interpretive Centre also boasts a butterfly collection.

The Naturalist Club maintains the centre on behalf of Nature Trust B.C., who owns the land.

There are two full-time staff at the Interpretive Centre and it is open seven days a week from June to October. The centre sees as many as 80 people a day in peak tourism season.

Anastasia Fominoff is one of the full-time workers.

Fominoff said she is there "to educate people on Salmon Arm Bay and the waterfront."

She has videos and pamphlets for any visitors to the centre. People can also pick up maps with the best places to go bird watching.

Although the centre is focused mostly on birds, there is also information on all wildlife found in Salmon Arm.

Bird talk: Salmon Arm Bay Nature Enhancement Society Interpretive Centre staffer Anastasia Fominoff shows a wood carving of a yellow-headed blackbird to Ryley Bender and Scott Swiston while Mariella McMahon looks over literature from the centre.

...so go visit and you may appreciate nature's gift

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