When Elaine McMillan was in Grade 1, she used her daily walks to and from school to learn about the birds and other parts of nature she saw.
That love and desire to learn carried through Sunday, when she spent the day searching for and counting the different birds she and two other people saw south of Marquis Road, between Second Avenue West and Sixth Avenue East.
"I've always just loved the outdoors," she said after the count. "We saw 10 different species today. The biggest count was about 300 pigeons behind the Co-op (gas bar) on Marquis."
About 20 volunteers turned out Sunday morning, spreading out across Prince Albert to count the local bird population. It's been an annual tradition in Prince Albert for more than 50 years, but the first ever Christmas bird count was in 1900, when Frank Chapman came up with the idea of counting the local bird population as an alternative to hunting the birds.
According to Nature Prince Albert president Carman Dodge, more than 100 groups in Saskatchewan participated in the bird count last year. In total, there are 376 different bird species in the province, but sometimes that is only evident in the summer, said Dodge.
For Dodge, the science of bird watching and ornithology is something that has always been a part of his social time. He likes to learn more about his feathered friends.
"I find it relaxing," he said. "It's sort of a community event, kind of a family thing."
For fellow bird-watcher Bonnie Tolley, participating in the bird count and other outdoor activities gives her a chance to learn more about Saskatchewan's wilderness.
"When someone talks about a bird, I can see it in my mind or think of the sound (it makes)," she said.
Both Tolley and McMillan said the bird count also gives them a chance to bond with others who also enjoy nature and are willing to stand in the cold to count birds.
"It's neat to see what kind of birds other people see," said McMillan.
"There's a lot of nice side-effects," added Tolley about the count.
