|
Watchers wanted for Christmas bird counts |
|
|
|
Written by Administrator
|
|
Friday, 16 December 2005 |
|
Bird watchers are wanted over the next few weeks for the Audubon Society's century-old Christmas tradition of conducting annual bird counts.
Audubon chapters around the world are coordinating counts between Dec. 15, 2000 and Jan. 5, 2001. All bird watchers, from expert to novice, are welcome to join spotting teams to count all birds seen in a 15-mile diameter or 177-square-mile area in a 24-hour period. Now drawing more than 50,000 participants each year, the Christmas Bird Count provides one of the most valuable databases on bird population and distribution trends in existence.
The annual bird counts started in 1900 – prior to regulated hunting – as a protest against competitions to see who could kill the most birds and other animals in one day. A competitive spirit has flourished with the counts, but they've also become a great way to get into birdwatching and learn identification tricks from veteran birders.
Fifty-one Washington Audubon chapter Christmas counts are scheduled this season, from Port Gamble on Dec. 15 to Grand Coulee on Jan. 5. Many chapters are set to count Saturday, Dec. 16, including Bridgeport, Colville, Ellensburg, Grays Harbor, Tacoma, Walla Walla, and Yakima Valley. Another big count day will be Dec. 30 for Everett, Seattle, Spokane, Tri-Cities, Twisp, and other chapters. You can find your local chapter's schedule and contact for participation at www.wos.org or call the state Audubon office at (360) 786-8020.
Last year the Sequim-Dungeness count had the highest number of species reported – 141, including relative rarities like bobolink, Eurasian green-winged teal, marbled godwit, red knot, and swamp sparrow. Other smaller counts included unique species, too, like the pine warbler and blue jay spotted in the Pullman area. The Seattle chapter recorded several 50-year-high counts of some species' numbers: 10,774 American crows, 1,880 Canada geese, 446 ring-necked ducks, 200 sanderlings, 66 Pacific loons, 59 Harlequin ducks, 41 bald eagles, 34 red-throated loons, 13 merlins, and a partridge in a pear tree (just kidding)!
|
Cities and Towns
