On the lookout: New Brunswick bird watcher finds his 400th species of bird
CTV
Armed with a keen eye and curiosity, Jim Wilson has watched birds in New Brunswick for decades. Recently, Wilson saw his 400th species of bird, but the search continues for the next one.
Wherever there are birds, there’s a good chance you’ll also find Jim Wilson.
Armed with a keen eye and curiosity, he lugs his binoculars and spotting scope to marshes, beaches and nature reserves across New Brunswick, as he has for decades. Wilson is always on the lookout for a bird, especially if it’s one not yet added to list: of the approximately 442 bird species noted to exist in New Brunswick, Wilson has seen 400 of them.
That’s a record for the province.
“I was lucky enough to hit that milestone just recently. It was a Wilson’s plover. No relation,” he joked.
Wilson explained it’s extremely rare for the Wilson’s plover to be found in Canada. The medium-sized shorebird with a large, heavy beak is usually found along coastlines between the mid-Atlantic and South America.
When he first heard a Wilson’s plover had been spotted near Shediac, N.B. he knew it was the first time for the province. The next morning, he and his wife and another birding friend were the road at 4:45 a.m. on a mission to drive nearly two hours to find that plover.
Within minutes of arriving at the beach, the plover was seen. Mission accomplished. The group was back home by 10 a.m.
