– Submitted by San Juan Islands Audubon Society
The holiday season has become so hectic that San Juan Islands Audubon has moved their Christmas Bird Count to the end of the count period.
“Consider this a wonderful way to extend the celebration season,” organizers said.
The CBC is set to take flight Saturday, Jan. 2. Grab your binoculars and get ready to tally.
“The thing that’s exciting for our count is that the wide variety of habitats leads to a greater variety of birds: fresh water birds, sea birds, land birds, raptors and possible rarities” said Barbara Jensen, president of the local Audubon Society chapter. “We count every single bird and besides the things we expect to find we usually find something new. The wrap ups afterwards are the most fun when we find out what the other birders have seen and what the numbers look like.”
Keep an eye out this year for rarities in particular, like ospreys which won’t fly south unless there’s a freeze, golden eagles, winter duck species and the elusive red-breasted sap sucker.
In 1900, ornithologist Frank Chapman along with other conservationist were disturbed at the slaughter of birds in the annual holiday event called the “side hunt.” The team that shot the most birds and other small animals was the winner. As a protest, Chapman organized 27 friends in 25 locations on Christmas Day, 1900 to count live animals instead of shooting them. This became an annual event and the National Audubon Society has now sponsored the CBC for 116 years. Each Audubon chapter chooses a 24-hour time period from the middle of December to early January for their count. The area covered is a 15-mile wide circle of about 177 square miles. San Juan’s circle has the center at the University of Washington Labs in Friday Harbor and includes parts of San Juan, Orcas, Lopez and Shaw. More information about the history and how the count works can be found at the National Audubon’s website.
For the seasoned birder and for the novice, the bird count offers as little or as much involvement as one desires. Identify feathered-friends solo from your own bird feeder in the backyard, the deck of your boat, or tag along with experienced birders to an assigned area.
Wherever you chose to count make sure to contact Jensen so she can set you up with paperwork and make sure there’s no double-dipping as far as areas to cover are concerned. The Christmas Bird Count is now the longest-running citizen science survey in the world, providing critical data on population trends from the tallies of more than 2,300 bird-count circles in many different countries.
The San Juans’ Christmas Bird Count, which got its start in 1987, has shown variations in population during its 28-year history, some good, others not so good. The number of Anna’s Hummingbirds and Eurasian Collared-Doves are on the rise, while the populations of seabirds and shorebirds have dropped precipitously over the years.
So why is this data important? Bird populations are indicators of the overall health of our environment. As the database continues to grow and becomes long-term, it is possible to monitor the abundance and distribution patterns of wintering bird populations.
Although its roots are scientific, the bird count is a chance to connect with fellow nature enthusiasts, experience winter’s splendor, and introduce newcomers to the magical world of birding. Some birders take a little rest during the count.
“As birders we love whatever is seasonal,” Jensen said. “The first Varied Thrush call of the fall signals approaching winter and then we start looking for returning swans, ducks and raptors and maybe a Snowy Owl.”
Scientific with a dose of whimsy—and not to mention some competition. Every chirp counts and the rarer the more exciting it is. Jensen said she hopes the San Juan chapter will beat some of the other chapters on rare sightings and big collection of birds overall.
For more information and to get down for the count call Barbara Jensen at 378-3068.
