By Jean Zirnhelt
You are invited to join members of Weminuche Audubon Society and Audubon Rockies to count birds with us on Sunday, December 14, for Audubon’s annual Christmas Bird Count. You don’t need to be an expert birder to join in the fun. We go out in teams where typically some are good at spotting birds, some at hearing them, some can get a photo and others are good at identification. This is the 15th year for the count in Archuleta County and the 126th year since the count was initiated.
Community members and visitors are invited to join us for a bird identification class on raptors, woodpeckers and corvids tomorrow, Wednesday, December 10, at the Methodist Church on Lewis St. from 6:00 to 8:00pm. A Zoom option will also be available.
Count teams are forming now. For more information and to sign up to participate in the count, email us at weminuche.audubon@gmail.com.
As far back as the late 1800s, scientists and nature lovers were becoming concerned about declining bird numbers. The Christmas Bird Count was proposed as a replacement to the traditional Christmas “Side Hunt” where teams of hunters would compete to see which could make the largest pile of furred and feathered wildlife. Today we go out with cameras instead of weapons to ‘shoot’ birds.
Observations from these counts held between December 14 and January 5 across the western hemisphere each year are compiled in a central database used by researchers, conservationists and agencies to assess the status of bird populations. You can contribute to this important citizen science effort.
The Pagosa Springs count is conducted within a 15 mile diameter circle, divided into eight zones, and centered on Trujillo Rd. near downtown. Areas covered include town, about 6 miles east, most of Pagosa Lakes including Meadows subdivisions, west to Elk Park, Alpha, Rockridge, Timber Ridge, Mill Creek and Holiday Acres areas, Snowball, Cemetery and the first part of Fourmile Roads, Loma Linda, south to the Lower Blanco area, Trujillo Road to Burns Canyon and areas in between. It’s a lot of ground to cover in one day. If you live within the count boundary, you can even participate from your living room by tallying birds at your feeders on the 14th and sending your count to us.
We always look forward to seeing familiar faces and new ones at this time of year.
Jean Zirnhelt writes for the Weminuche Audubon Society.