GBBC Reviewer Profile: Clare Kines
The first year I worked on the GBBC (2005), I saw on the map that we
didn't have any sightings from Nunavut. I scrambled around and finally
found Clare Kines's blog. Not only did he submit a sighting of the
only bird really around his place up there in the frozen north (Common
Raven), he also volunteered to help us review any unusual reports that
might show up from there as well.
Clare is a retired member of the R.C.M.P living in Arctic Bay Nunavut, on the north end of Baffin Island at 73 degrees North. Raised in Roblin Manitoba (it only seems as though he was raised by Ravens) he spent 24 years with the RCMP before retiring and building and operating a Bed and Breakfast along with his wife, Leah, in Arctic Bay. He is thrilled that he was able to double the CBC species total in Arctic Bay this year... to two. He spends much of his birding energy watching Corvus corax.
This year we're still hoping to get more species and checklists from Nunavut, as of right now, its all ravens!
I feel cold just looking at you!
I came home from birding Saguaro NP because I was hot. One look at this picture chilled me to the bones! Yikes! ~Kathiesbirds
Nice furlined hood!
Hi...is Clare Kines wearing wolverine? I'll bet that's warm! I would love to go and watch the ravens...I've heard of their intelligence! What a great opportunity! Kim from NY
Ravens
Hello! If anyone ever watch the "The Ice Road Truckers" they might have noticed one of the younger truckers had a Raven fly along side the truck and he would feed it by hand. They had to drive slow over the ice and kept them occupied during the long trips to the Diamond Mines in Alaska. Helen from Wheatland, CA.
Now That...
...is a sharp dressed man. Looking good, Clare!










Ravens in Nunavut
Several years ago, when I first began taking part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, my sister lived in Rankin Inlet. I called her and said that if she would count the birds in her area (and yes, there were only ravens!) that she would appear as the only little red dot on the GBBC website in the far north. Sure enough, she went out and counted ravens and her results appeared as a little red "star" in the far north....my sister in Rankin Inlet. Today, she lives in Pinawa, Manitoba and counts way more species than just ravens. This year we are enjoying an irruption of white winged crossbills. Keep on counting and enjoy! Gail Nally