For many people a special bird sighting can be a gateway to the natural world and all its intriguing relationships. Birds can accomplish this because they are highly visible, often beautifully attired, and never cease to inspire awe and envy with their ability to slip the bonds of earth. Once “hooked” on nature in general, people are more likely to understand the need to preserve special places like Creek 53 in perpetuity.

Additionally, the birdlife of a region can be an indicator of the health of the local ecosystem. For this reason, a knowledge of the species inhabiting the area, both past and present, is invaluable in assessing the success of Creek 53’s primary goal of maintaining and increasing the biodiversity of the lands belonging to the trust.

As Resident Birder Wayne Grubert brings a historical knowledge of the changing birdlife of Creek 53 and its surrounding areas. As a lifelong resident of Hudson, he has compiled a solid data base of ornithological observations in the region including over 50 years of Christmas Bird Count participation centred on the area surrounding Creek 53.

Wayne is a retired secondary school science and math teacher with 37 years experience at various schools within the Lakeshore and Lester B Pearson School Boards. He has a BSc in Geography and an Education Diploma from McGill University. He served for over 20 years on the Board of Directors of Bird Protection Quebec and continues a 25+ year run as the co-chairperson of BPQ Field Trip Committee. In this role his tasks include recruiting excursion leaders and scheduling weekly outings in the Montreal area. He also guides a number of those outings himself. For several years he has volunteered his services as a guide for Le Nichoir’s Open House introductory field trips. He has participated in bird surveys for the Nature Conservancy of Canada at their Kenauk and Covey Hill Reserves as well as for the Quebec and Ontario Breeding Bird Atlases.

Although he thinks of himself as a birder with a camera as opposed to a nature photographer, he does enjoy snapping pictures to record all aspects of the natural world and to share its beauty with others. You can find some of his photos interspersed throughout the Creek 53 website.