Get ready for the big 'Christmas Bird Count'

Rich Eldred outlines a tradition at Christmas time, the "Christmas Bird Count".

The Cap Codder on Townline.com - December 1, 2006

Get ready for the big 'Christmas Bird Count'

Christmas time's a Coming, as Bill Monroe sang many years ago, and while that turns many folks' thoughts to gift wrap, carols, chestnuts on the fire and three wise men visiting the manger, it also means hot coffee, frigid mornings, frozen fingers and listening for the call of the saw-whet owl for others.
For 105 years dedicated birders have sallied forth around Christmas time for the biggest event of the year, the annual Christmas Bird Count.
We've placed in a box the nearby counts, dates and leaders. These are just six of roughly 2,000 counts that will be done across the continent over the next few weeks involving well over 50,000 birders.
"It's once a year and we look forward to it a lot," declared teacher Tom Lipsky, leader of the Truro bird count. "We're all birders so we love birding anyways. It's kind of special, you can compare the data year to year and there are always changes and new species. You're seeing trends. Part of the excitement is to find something unusual and it's just fun being with good friends."
The first friendly count was on Christmas Day 1900, when 27 birders tabulated 18,500 birds representing 90 species. On Christmas, there was a traditional "side hunt" during which people split into "sides," collected their shotguns and whichever "side" shot the most birds or wild game was the victor. Frank Chapman of the Audubon Society created the count as an alternative.
Most counts that day had only one counter and counts were held at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, Belmont and Cambridge, Keene, N.H., and as far afield as Scotch Lake, New Brunswick and Pacific Grove, Calif.
"Anyone can get involved," said count leader Jeremiah Trimble. "The leaders concentrate on the task at hand. Birders in general are very good at sharing and helping people see birds and making it more fun."
Trimble, a curator in the bird department of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University, runs the Buzzards Bay and Mid-Cape counts along with his father, Peter, a former teacher at Sandwich High School.

More information can be found at http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc/ and the rest of the Eldred article is at
http://www2.townonline.com/brewster/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=627732


Additional Notes / Thoughts:

While the article deals with the New England area, it is not the only place these counts take place. They occur across North America, including Canada, during the middle of December to the start of January.

One wonders, with so many birders watching the skies, bushes and trees, what else may they spot? An Ivory Bill? Thunderbird? Washington Eagle? Something Else......

These watchers are fascinating as they encompass a nearly complete volunteer survey of the avian populace and sightings occurrences on a wide spread geographical area.