Uxbridge birder shares Mongolian experience

Submitted by Jay Thibert

Carly Davenport at a bird banding station in Mongolia. Photo submitted by Jay Thibert

As Canadians, we are used to working a bit harder to see birds across our expansive country. Birding in Mongolia is no different, but it rewards the traveller with breathtaking views and amazing birds that eke out an existence in the late spring and summer months.

Uxbridge birder Carly Davenport travelled to Mongolia, the land of Genghis Khan, in the spring of 2024 and spent just over a month in this amazing country. She was joined by Martin Parker and David Brewer, and these experienced Ontario naturalists will share their experiences at North Durham Nature’s March meeting. The public is invited to attend and learn more about the birds in this unique part of the world.

Davenport worked as an assistant art director in American feature film and television for over 10 years and recently earned a B.Sc. from Trent University and M.Sc. in Medical Science from the University of Toronto. She dedicates much of her free time to bird conservation and has founded Bird Safe U of T, Bird Friendly Selwyn and Bird Friendly Uxbridge.

Parker is a lifetime birder and naturalist, participating in his first Christmas Bird Count when he was 12 years old, and has completed counts each year since. He worked as Park Naturalist at a number of Ontario Parks, and has led birding and nature tours for over five decades.

Brewer was born in western England, where he started birding at about 11 years of age. He studied organic chemistry at Cambridge University, before going to Glasgow for graduate work, where he spent his spare time banding Gannets and Puffins. He then spent a year at the University of Arizona in Tucson, which ignited his lifelong interest in Neotropical ornithology.

Join North Durham Nature on Tuesday, March 25, at 7 p.m., at the Scugog Memorial Library, Port Perry. northdurhamnature.com