Weminuche Audubon Christmas Bird Count

Hello and thank you to all of you who helped make the Weminuche Audubon’s first Christmas Bird Count a success. A special thank you to those who traveled from out of town to help. We greatly appreciate your help!  The day was clear, warm and beautiful. The data keeping was outstanding. [Read more…]

Volunteers like you are critical to the success of this count along with high accuracy in identifying each bird recorded. The tools we have to help us with bird identification are a winter bird list compiled from several verified lists, power point pictures of each bird and page reference to all birds on our CBC list in the Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America, and expert birders with each group to help ensure accuracy.

Bird identification accuracy is critical to the success of our count. The data collected by observers over the past century allow researchers, conservation biologists, and other interested individuals to study the long-term health and status of bird populations across North America. When combined with other surveys such as the Breeding Bird Survey, it provides a picture of how the continent’s bird populations have changed in time and space over the past hundred years. The health and continued existence of bird population are dependent on the accuracy of what is recorded on CBC day.

• What is the count circle and where are the zones?
• How does a CBC work on count day?
• What happens to the information gathered from a CBC?
• What types of bird conservation programs are developed from the CBC data collected?
• History of the CBC.
• How To Get Involved
• New to Birding?
• Bird Feeder Counts
• Owling
• Counting Birds the Week of the Count

What is the count circle and where are the zones? See the count circle map and maps of each individual zones. If you would like to help, please study the maps and determine which zone you would like to volunteer to help count birds.

Email Beverly Compton, Volunteer Program Coordinator:
your name,
telephone number,
mailing address
and the zone you would like to adopt. Back to top.

How does a CBC work on count day? Volunteers and experts will meet to receive final instructions, your zone packet and any final details. Volunteers car pool and drive to their zone and start recording the birds they see. Birders continue counting throughout the day.  Everyone gathers afterwards for a simple dinner, debriefing, sharing of experiences and to turn in their bird list tally. Back to top.

What happens to the information gathered from a CBC? The CBC volunteer program leader compiles all of the count information and enters all of the data gathered into the Audubon website. The data gathered is proofed and analyzed by regional editors then submitted to the scientific Audubon staff for their use in crafting conservation programs to protect birds and their habitat. Back to top.

What types of bird conservation programs are developed from the CBC data collected? In the 1980’s CBC data documented the decline of wintering populations of the American Black Duck, after which conservation measures were put into effect to reduce hunting pressure on this species.

More recently, in 2007, the data were instrumental in the development of two Audubon State of the Birds Reports – Common Birds in Decline, which revealed that some of America’s most beloved and familiar birds have taken a nosedive over the past forty years, and WatchList 2007, which identified 178 rarer species in the continental U.S. and 39 in Hawaii that are imperiled. These three reports helped scientists and policy-makers to both identify threats to birds and habitat, and promote broad awareness of the need to address them.

In 2009, the data collected was instrumental in Audubon’s Birds & Climate Change analysis, which documented range shifts of bird species over time. Also in 2009, CBC data were instrumental in the collaborative report by the North American Bird Conservation Initiative and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service called the  State of the Birds 2009. Some of the birds species we are also learning about through Christmas Bird Count Data are:

• The Demise of the Eastern Bewick’s Wren
• Population Trends in Evening Grosbeak
• Dove Expansions in North America
• Pine Siskins Across North America
• Tufted Titmouse Range Expansion
• Grackle Expansion
• American Kestrel
• Nuttall’s Woodpeckers

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History of the CBC. Prior to the turn of the century, people engaged in a holiday tradition known as the Christmas “Side Hunt.” They would choose sides and go afield with their guns; whoever brought in the biggest pile of feathered (and furred) quarry won. Beginning on Christmas Day 1900, ornithologist Frank Chapman, an early officer in the then budding Audubon Society, proposed a new holiday tradition-a “Christmas Bird Census”-that would count birds in the holidays rather than hunt them. Today birders throughout North America including 50,000 counters at 2,000 locations will spend a day over the holidays to count birds in their area.  The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is the oldest citizen field science program in the nation.  You can join the ranks of thousands of counters and help protect and save our beloved birds. Contact Beverly Compton to sign up. Back to top.

How To Get Involved
Pick a zone to adopt. Decide if you would like to be a volunteer zone leader or volunteer to help with the counting.

• Download and print out the zone map you would like to help with. Some zones already have volunteer zone leaders – please check the list.
• Drive all the roads in your zone and familiarize yourself with the landscape. Take any great photos you might see for use on this web site.
• Determine where the best bird watching might be. Mark on the zone map where you would like to stop and bird watch.
• Determine on the road where the end of your zone is –the outside edge of the count circle (in yellow)
• Familiarize yourself with the CBC bird list available on the website (print out) and with the page the bird can be found in the Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America. Copies of the Sibley Field Guide are available for your use. We ask that you return them the night of the count.
• Print out Rare bird form and understand how to use. Print out weather report and group survey forms, read.
• Review the circle map and where your zone is.
• Read all information available at Audubon website on the CBC Program including this Program Review.

Volunteer to help with the details to make this count happen.

• Co-lead this program
• Submit photos of birds in the winter, birds at bird feeders and beauty outdoor scenery shots for this CBC web site.
• Help build the power point show of our local winter birds using royalty free photos from the web and include their common/scientific names and Sibley field guide page number.
• Help write several press releases, news stories, member and website updates, calendar listings, and flyers for stores. Put up posters around town near the date of the count.
• Write post event thank you’s.
• Help with the compiling of bird seen after the count.
• Organize and coordinate bird feeder counts, night count.

Volunteer to help lead the day of the count

• Co-lead the day’s activities – make sure all volunteers have signed the volunteer information sheet, waivers; zone leaders have their zone packets and all forms. Make copies and distribute if needed.
• Help organize count day gatherings and supper afterwards.

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Are you new to birding?  We need your help!

The Christmas Bird Count is a great introduction to birding. Even if you have never bird watched you can help and learn a lot about birding, birds and the joy of birding from those in your group that day.  You can make a real contribution to the understanding and protection of our local wild birds and where they live by participating.  The number one way to learn to bird is by doing so with others.

You will learn how to identify birds based on where you see them, their distinguishing field marks (color, beak size, shape, profile) and songs and calls.  Others will teach you how to quickly record important field marks seen so once the bird moves you can study the field guides to determine what you saw. A common misconception is that birders readily identify all birds in their area; most are very good at recording a few key distinguishing features and then figuring out what bird they saw. More about learning to bird.

Purchase a bird identification book along with a good pair of binoculars is the best place to start.  Read the introduction at the beginning of the book.  It will have a wealth of information on how to figure out what you are seeing. We will make copies of the Sibley’s Field Guide to Birds of Western North America available for use the day of the Christmas Bird Count. Downloading and printing out the winter bird list here, finding them in a bird field guide (the bird list has the Sibley page number for all birds) and really looking at what makes them unique will make you more successful in doing so the day of the count.  Determining the birds that are in your yard and finding them in the field guide is another way of learning to identify birds.

There are many birding tools on line. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a search for birds on line.

The day of the CBC count you will learn how to use a birding field guide, how the birds are categorize in the guide and how to find the birds in the book!  Other volunteers will talk about their interesting birding experiences, feeding wild birds, providing them with bird houses. Amateur and expert birders alike will participate. Everyone involved will help to insure that the bird recorded is indeed the bird seen.  Accuracy is critical to the success of the day.

There are many ways you can help the day of the count – be the designated driver, record birds seen on the tally sheets and record other information that needs to be documented that day. Everyone watches for birds and you can help by doing so too. More eyes watching insure a higher and more accurate count.

You will need a good quality pair of binoculars, plenty of warm clothes, something hot to drink and a lunch.  Look at the circle map here on this web page and determine which zone you would like to bird the day of our Christmas Bird Count.  Sign up to join the team who also pick the zone you would like to cover. You might choose the zone where you live or chose a zone or area you have a interest in. Many of us learned to bird watch by joining others.  Please join us!
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Bird Feeder Counts If you use bird feeders you can participate the day of the count. Bird feeder counting is done by recording the maximum number of any given species present at one time and recording the amount of time you spent doing the count.  The same winter bird list is used.  You can download the list on this web page.  Your count is recorded separately but still plays a vital role in understanding what birds are present. If you do not want to count the birds at your feeders filling the feeders the morning of the count will allow volunteers who may drive by count the birds from the street. We hope you would like to participate. Please contact Beverly Compton for more information.
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Owling Night birding which involves identifying night birds by sound is also an important part of the Christmas Bird Count. Owling begins at midnight the night before the count and continues through midnight the day of the count.  Owl counts include recording the types and number of birds heard and the amount of time doing so and the number miles driven.  We need the help of an owl expert who can lead an owling count.  Please contact Beverly Compton for more information.
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Counting Birds the Week of the Count Birds counted during the week serve as a place holder for those species on your checklist in a given season. They are not recorded as a part of our official census.  They are recorded on the winter bird list with a “cw”.  Count week birding before the count day helps determine the best places to look for birds and what types of birds count be seen the day of the count. Counting birds just after the count day helps determine what birds might need to be added to the checklist.
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