With Christmas behind us and the New Year ahead of us, that can only mean one thing—it’s time for the annual Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count.
Dedicated teams of bird enthusiasts will strike out into the cold on December 29 to take meticulous count of each and every bird they see that day, so if you see cars with Audubon Society signs in the back windows taking it slow to catch sight of an elusive bird, don’t be surprised.
Irene Grace and her family have taken part in the Bird Count for years, and she says they start just before sun up and go until sundown, walking fields, wielding binoculars and with clipboards in hand.
While many of counters do greatly enjoy birding as a hobby, this count serves an important purpose, with Grace saying taking careful count can show how each bird species is doing population wise. Then, they’ll compile the date to determine who is decline, or who is rising in population.
Those teams will be scattered all across Christian County to get as accurate of a count of wild birds as they can, and many, many miles will be covered that day.
Anyone interested in joining and learning more about the United States bird life can visit audubon.org. There you can print out bird lists, view count totals and more.