ST. CLAIR TWP., Ohio (WKBN) — Chances are you haven’t heard of the Annual Christmas Bird Count, a century-long census taking flight this week that’s put on by the National Audubon Society.
There’s an old saying about “birds of a feather” and how they flock together. Some local volunteers have helped get a study off the ground.
“We drive slow, we roll down our window,” said Eileen Dray-Bardon, a volunteer. “Sometimes, you go ‘pstpstpstpst’ to get the birds to come.”
That’s exactly what these wing watchers are keeping an eye out for.
“A lot of it is, you’re not hearing anything, but — oh gosh, wait — I heard something,” Dray-Bardon said.
It’s all part of the Beaver Creek Christmas bird count. Sponsored by the National Audubon Society, it’s one of the longest-running wildlife polls in the world.
“Some years, we have a great year because it’s a beautiful day and the birds are out. Today, it’s gloomy, it’s drizzling. They’re hunkered down,” Dray-Bardon said.
It’s a citizen-based science activity where volunteers count as many birds as they can find in a local 15-mile radius.
“You get to enjoy nature on that level, and to feel like what you’re doing here, this activity is contributing valuable information to this larger study,” Dray-Bardon said.
Clad in camouflage colors and armed with cameras, binoculars and clipboards, once the volunteers spot and record a bird, the data is submitted and compared with records of previous years.
“Birds are very much dependent on climate for the insects that are there, the feed that’s there, the temperatures that are there. That over time, begins to reinforce that those trends are impacting wildlife in significant ways,” Dray-Bardon said.
But it also provides a chance to see something you might not see every day.
“We had what’s called a ‘rare bird sighting,’ and it was a greater white fronted goose, and it’s a western bird,” said Dray-Bardon. “It was just a thrill. Just the idea that this is something different … when you see an eagle, it’s always a thrill.”
And it gives people connect with the great outdoors.
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Christmas bird count takes flight for 124th year - WKBN.com
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