Annual bird count set for Saturday
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Roy Pilcher (right) leads a group of bird watchers off the boardwalk at the West Rutland Marsh during a monthly bird count late last winter. ALBERT J. MARRO / RUTLAND HERALD |
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By PATRICK McARDLE Herald Staff - Published: December 24, 2007
While most holiday traditions in Vermont focus on indoor activities like big dinners and family get-togethers, there is one that will get people out of the house, under the open skies and into the record books.
The state's birders are in the middle of the annual Christmas bird count for the Audubon Society. From Dec. 14 through Jan. 5, there will be 19 "circles" in Vermont, allowing researchers to gather a good picture of the migratory bird population through the state and how it may be changing from past years.
Roy Pilcher of Proctor will be the compiler for Rutland when the count is taken Dec. 29.
"It's a lot of fun. It's our biggest event every year. After the count, we'll have a potluck supper at the Proctor Library. That's always fun. We compare numbers to previous years, which is always interesting and it can get quite competitive among teams," Pilcher said.
Pilcher, 78, who has been participating in Christmas bird counts for 34 years, said that on Dec. 29, members and volunteers with the Rutland County Audubon Society will be sent out across the circle, an area of about 175 square miles with its center on Route 4A by Otter Creek, and asked to count birds.
Some groups will do a lot of walking, some a lot of driving, and others will participate by counting the birds that come to their bird feeders.
Pilcher said it will be considered a good year for the group if they spot 55 species, although some areas of Vermont that have larger bodies of water may see 80 to 85 different species.
The bird count should be interesting this year, even for longtime participants, because of what's happening in Canada, according to Bridget Butler, conservation education coordinator for the Vermont Audubon Society.
Because the boreal forest region, the home of the more than 300 bird species across 1.5 billion acres in Canada and Alaska, have not produced as many of the seeds and fruits that birds feed on, the birds are migrating south.
"These birds are just pouring down south. It's going to be a very exciting Christmas count," said Bonnie Dundas, who will lead Bennington's count, also on Dec. 29.
Birders may have more opportunities to see boreal irruptive species like the red-breasted nuthatch, Bohemian waxwing, purple finch, common redpoll and pine siskin.
With snowy conditions, this may also be a good year to see owls, such as the snowy owl spotted in Warren last year, or barred owls.
Pilcher said he had heard about sightings near the side of the road of owls this year that he attributed to the birds hunting one of their favorite prey, mice. Pilcher said the owls can hear the mice under the snow and he had seen an owl dive down and pull a mouse of a snowy expanse.
Spotting an eagle or water finches is also possible under the right conditions, Butler said.
While many people participate in the bird count because they enjoy it and its social aspects, there are practical results as well.
"The really exciting thing about this is that it's a nationwide citizen science project and this data actually affects conservation efforts. … The counters will be helping to cover a lot of ground that other scientists just can't cover," Butler said.
The Audubon Society uses the information as part of its efforts to track the development of different species and their habits as well as to target species for protection.
While the count has already done been done in places such as Windham, Brattleboro and Springfield, there are still counts scheduled in Woodstock, Barnet and Hanover-Norwich.
Butler said most circles welcome birders of all levels of experience, although less-experienced observers will generally be teamed up with veterans.
Anyone interested in joining a count should be aware that most of the day will be spent outside.
"You have to be ready to be outside for an eight-hour day. Dress warm. Dress for the weather. Bring plenty of chocolate," Butler advised.
Dundas said people who take part in the Bennington count are frequently surprised to see robins and bluebirds, but it's not uncommon to see those species or shrikes and mockingbirds, and this year, there may be Carolina wrens and red-bellied woodpeckers as well.
"We leave early, 6:30 or so. As soon as it's light, the crows are flying and we'll see them. We'll go until dark. It's cold, but it's fun," Dundas said.
Many in the Bennington circle will take part in the count in Salem, N.Y., and Dundas said there's always some good-natured competition to see which group is more successful.
Pilcher said he was fully expecting to see new people join his circle next week. Each year, he sees about four or five new people join about 25 regulars and he estimated about half of the newcomers will be back.
"It's a nice way to celebrate this time of year. For a lot of people, it's a time when they wouldn't have gone outside unless something stimulated them to go out, but once they do, they say, 'That was great,'" he said.
For information on the Dec. 29 Bennington bird count, call Dundas at 447-7433 or e-mail kinglet@sover.net. For information about the Rutland count on the same date, call Pilcher at 459-2851 or e-mail shamwariVT@aol.com.
For more information on the Web about the Christmas bird count or Vermont birding, visit ebird.org/content/vt/index.html.
Contact Patrick McArdle at patrick.mcardle@rutlandherald.com.
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