Winter brings a change to our landscape as the grasses turn golden and the birdsong of spring becomes the plaintive calls of birds on the move and finding shelter from the north winds. We are fortunate here on the gulf coast to have fairly mild winters. This means we have an opportunity to catch a glimpse of some feathered visitors from far off lands. Shorebirds have streamed down from arctic summer grounds and the hawk count increases as these magnificent raptors find hunting along our country roads a bit easier compared to the snow covered terrain of their breeding territories.
This year is the 125th Christmas Bird Count. The CBC began in 1900 by Frank M. Chapman. He proposed a "Christmas Bird Census" instead of the traditional Christmas "Side Hunt" that drove competitive hunters to the fields to bring home the biggest pile of feathered and furred quarry.
There are lots of counts in our area and a quick google search at audubon.org will help you find a count that is nearby and still open for more participants. The thrill of finding a new bird you may not have ever seen before is part of the allure of the CBC but at the heart is being a part of a huge community science project that fuels bird conservation.
Hoooo knows - maybe you will have a chance to see the wintering Short-eared Owls on a count this season.

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