This holiday season marks the 115th annual Christmas Bird Count, a favorite tradition among Vermont’s birding community. Birders in Vermont are encouraged to participate in the count, which begins on December 14 and runs through January 5. SEE LIST OF EVENTS BELOW
Vermonters with an interest in bird-watching, from avid birders to newbies, are invited to take part in the annual Christmas Bird Count, which is happening in Vermont from December 14 to January 5. Courtesy of Fish & Wildlife
This year birders will be on the lookout for snowy owls which are once again arriving from the north, along with a few rare ducks and songbirds.
“I’ve been participating in the annual count since 1980 and it’s really worthwhile,” said Vermont Fish & Wildlife biologist Steve Parren. “You can see some cool species such as horned grebes or red-bellied woodpeckers and this year I’ll be on the lookout for the fox sparrow that I recently saw in my back yard.”
Even novice birdwatchers can participate because every event is led by an experienced birder. Organizers and participants include birders and biologists from Audubon Vermont, Middlebury College, the North Branch Nature Center, the Northwoods Stewardship Center, and the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.
In Vermont, there are more than a dozen count areas where birders gather together to conduct the Christmas Bird Count. The dates and contract information for each event are listed on the Vermont eBird website at www.tinyurl.com/XmasBirdVt14.
“The Christmas Bird Count is one of the longest-running citizen science projects in the country and possibly in the world,” said Mark LaBarr, conservation program manager for Audubon Vermont. “Not only does it provide critical data for scientists, but it’s also a great time for folks who participate.”
The Christmas Bird Count originated in 1900 with ornithologist Frank Chapman, an officer in the Audubon Society, who updated what had been a traditional Christmas morning bird hunt to include a census of the wintering locations of various bird species. The count started with just 27 observers and has grown into one of the largest birding events in the world, with tens of thousands of people participating every year.
“People who actively interact with wildlife such as on bird watch like this seem to have a deeper connection with nature,” added Parren. “To do these things, you need to care about wildlife. Vermonters have an exceptionally high interest in the natural world.”
Parren encourages all Vermonters who are looking for a fun way to see wildlife and participate in citizen science this holiday season to grab their binoculars and join in on this year’s annual Christmas Bird Count.
Radio Brief: Vermonters with an interest in bird-watching, from avid birders to newbies, are invited to take part in the annual Christmas Bird Count, which is happening in Vermont from December 14 to January 5. The bird count is a citizen science effort to help biologists keep tabs on where birds are wintering and to monitor for possible changes in bird populations. Participants may be lucky enough to see a snowy owl, which are once again arriving this winter from the north. The Vermont eBird website lists dates and locations of this year’s Christmas Bird Count events.
VERMONT COUNTS:
Barnet
Jan. 1, 2015
Contact: Charlie Brown
[email protected]
Bennington
Dec.
Contact: Kevin Hemeon
[email protected]
Brattleboro
Dec. 20, 2014
Contact:Chris Petrak
[email protected]
Burlington
Dec. 14, 2014
Contact: Shirley Johnson
[email protected]
Compiler: Eric Lazarus
[email protected]
Champlain Islands/St. Albans
Dec. 14, 2014
Contact: Terry Marron
[email protected]
East Franklin County
Jan. 3, 2015
Contact: Eddy Edwards
[email protected]
Ferrisburgh
Dec. 20, 2014
Contact: Mike Winslow
[email protected]
Hanover-Norwich
Jan. 1, 2015
Meet in front of Hopkins Center in Hanover, N.H. at 7am
Contact: Daniel Crook
[email protected]
Hinesburg-Huntington
Jan. 3, 2015
Contact: Paul Wieczoreck
[email protected]
Island Pond
Dec. 17, 2014
Contact: Jayson Benoit
[email protected]
Lamoille County
Dec. 28, 2014
Contact: Noel Dodge
[email protected]
Mad River Valley/Northfield
Dec. 19, 2014
Contact Pat Folsom
[email protected]
Middlebury
Dec. 14, 2014
Contact: Jim Andrews
[email protected]
Mt. Abraham
Dec. 20, 2014
Contact: Randy Durand
[email protected]
Plainfield
Dec. 20, 2014
Contact: Chip Darmstadt
[email protected]
Randolph Area
Dec.
Contact: Rick Enser
[email protected]
Rutland
Dec. 27, 2014
Contact: Roy Pilcher
[email protected]
Saxton’s River
Dec. 20, 2014
Contact: Don Clark
[email protected]
Springfield
Dec. 14, 2014
Contact: Hugh Putnam
[email protected] or 802-886-8430
Winhall/Windham
Dec. 14, 2014
Contact: Ruth Stewart
[email protected]
Woodstock
Dec. 17, 2014
Contact: Sally Laughlin
[email protected]