The “Tale of Two Counts” was penned by Susan Patla.
“This holiday season marked the 119th Audubon Christmas Bird Count survey effort, with over 2,500 count circles surveyed in the United States between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5, making it the oldest and most extensive bird survey effort in the country.
kAm“%H@ 4@F?E 4:C4=6D[ 6249 `d >:=6D :? 5:2>6E6C[ 92G6 366? DFCG6J65 2??F2==J :? y24<D@? WDE2CE:?8 `hf_X 2?5 :? %6E@? '2==6J WDE2CE:?8 `hhcX] p C64@C5 ?F>36C @7 @3D6CG6CD[ dd A6@A=6[ A2CE:4:A2E65 :? y24<D@?’D 4@F?E @? s64] `d] x? %6E@? '2==6J b_ 7@=<D E@@< E@ E96 7:6=5 @? s64] aa] !2CE:4:A2?ED DFCG6J65 56D:8?2E65 C@FE6D 3J 42C[ 7@@E[ D?@HD9@6 @C D<:D @C H2E4965 76656CD 7C@> E96 4@>7@CE @7 9@>6]k^Am
kAm“p=E9@F89 >@DE 7@=<D C6A@CE65 92G:?8 2 D=@H 52J[ E96 E@E2= ?F>36C @7 DA64:6D @3D6CG65 H2D @?=J D=:89E=J 36=@H 2G6C286[ H:E9 d` 5@4F>6?E65 :? y24<D@? 2?5 da :? %6E@? '2==6J @? 4@F?E 52J] %96 a_\J62C 2G6C286 7@C 3@E9 4@F?ED :D dc DA64:6D H:E9 2 C2?86 7C@> c_ E@ ed] %9:D :?4=F56D DA64:6D E92E DE2J J62C\C@F?5 W@>?:G@C6D @C D665\62E6CDX 2?5 E9@D6 >:8C2E:?8 96C6 7C@> 72CE96C ?@CE9 E92E 2C6 D66? @?=J :? E96 H:?E6C]k^Am
kAm“p=E9@F89 3@E9 4@F?E 4:C4=6D :?4=F56 FC32? 2?5 DF3FC32? 2C62D[ @G6C2==[ E96J :?4=F56 BF:E6 5:776C6?E 923:E2ED] y24<D@?’D 4:C4=6 :?4=F56D >@C6 6IE6?D:G6 H6E=2?5 2?5 C:G6C 923:E2E D@ 2=H2JD C6A@CED 2 8C62E6C 5:G6CD:EJ @7 H2E6C7@H=] $:I H2E6C7@H= DA64:6D D66? :? y24<D@? H6C6 ?@E C6A@CE65 :? %6E@? '2==6Ji E96 p>6C:42? 4@@E[ p>6C:42? H:86@?[ 3F77=69625[ 8C66?\H:?865 E62=[ 9@@565 >6C82?D6C 2?5 C:?8\?64<65 5F4<] qFE 4@F?E6CD D2H >@C6 ECF>A6E6C DH2?D :? %6E@? '2==6J[ `a` 4@>A2C65 E@ fg] p >F49 9:896C ?F>36C @7 DH2?D H:?E6C :? y24<D@?[ 3FE E96J @44FC >@DE=J D@FE9 @7 E96 4@F?E 4:C4=6[ H9:49 6?5D ?@CE9 @7 (:=D@?]k^Am
kAm“x? 4@?EC2DE[ %6E@? '2==6J’D 4@F?E 4:C4=6 4@?E2:?D >@C6 28C:4F=EFC2= 7:6=5D 2?5 u@C6DE $6CG:46 =2?5 H:E9 2DA6? 2?5 >:I65 4@?:76CD] vC2J A2CEC:586 2?5 D92CA\E2:=65 8C@FD6 H6C6 C6A@CE65 @?=J :? %6E@? '2==6J] #2AE@CD 2=D@ H6C6 >F49 >@C6 23F?52?E :? %6E@? '2==6J H:E9 ad C65\E2:=65 92H<D[ dc C@F89\=68865 92H<D[ E9C66 8C62E 8C2J @H=D[ @?6 D92CA\D9:??65 92H< 2?5 @?6 AC2:C:6 72=4@?] %9:D 4@>A2C65 H:E9 @?=J @?6 C@F89\=68865 92H< 2?5 @?6 ?@CE96C? 92CC:6C C6A@CE65 7C@> y24<D@?] %96C6 H6C6 2? 2>2K:?8 ee 32=5 628=6D 4@F?E65 :? y24<D@?[ 4@>A2C65 E@ @?=J ac :? %6E@? '2==6J]k^Am
kAm“%6E@? '2==6J 4@F?E6CD 6DA64:2==J 36?67:EE65 3J 2 =2C86 4C@A @7 36CC:6D C6>2:?:?8 @? D9CF3D :? E96 7@@E9:==D E92E C6DF=E65 :? 2? 2>2K:?8 4@F?E @7 bh` p>6C:42? C@3:?D 4@>A2C65 E@ @?6 :? y24<D@?] !:?6 8C@D362<D H6C6 23F?52?E @? 3@E9 D:56D @7 E96 %6E@?D[ H:E9 `ga C6A@CE65 :? %6E@? '2==6J 2?5 cc :? y24<D@?] !:?6 D:D<:? 2?5 4C@DD3:==D H6C6 =@H @C 23D6?E E9C@F89@FE E96 2C62 D@ 72C E9:D H:?E6C]k^Am
kAm“~G6C2== E96 >@DE 23F?52?E 3:C5 DA64:6D :? y24<D@? :?4=F565 >2==2C5 WeceX[ 4@>>@? C2G6? Wae`X[ q2CC@H’D 8@=56?6J6 W`ggX[ 3=24<\42AA65 49:4<2566 W`faX 2?5 3=24<\3:==65 >28A:6 WgfX] x? %6E@? '2==6J E96 E@A 7:G6 H6C6i tFC@A62? DE2C=:?8 Wde_X[ >2==2C5 WcgdX[ p>6C:42? C@3:? Wbh`X[ 3=24<\3:==65 >28A:6 WbfdX 2?5 4652C H2IH:?8 W`fgX]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mu:6=5 ?@E6Dik^DEC@?8m y2?] h H2D ?@E65 E@ 36 E96 7:CDE 6G6?:?8 27E6C }6H *62C’D E92E E96C6’D 2 =:EE=6 EH:=:89E 2E 5FD<]k^Am
kAmp “G6CJ =2C86 kDEC@?8m628=6k^DEC@?8m” H2D DA@EE65 %9FCD52J :? (:=D@? ?62C %6E@? !2DD ?@E65 y6DD:6 z6C3D] %96 D2>6 52J $FD2? !2E=2 C6A@CE65 E96 kDEC@?8mq@96>:2? H2IH:?8Dk^DEC@?8m D9@H65 FA :? 96C ?6:893@C9@@5] $96’5 366? D66:?8 2 76H kDEC@?8m4652C H2IH:?8Dk^DEC@?8m :? E96 =2DE >@?E9[ 3FE DA@EE65 2 9F86 8C@FA @7 q@96>:2?D[ 2=@?8 H:E9 kDEC@?8mC@3:?Dk^DEC@?8m 2?5 kDEC@?8mA:?6 8C@D362<Dk^DEC@?8m[ 7665:?8 @? D6CG:4636CCJ 3FD96D @? %9FCD52J]k^Am
kAm$FD2?’D 6q:C5 C6A@CE @? %9FCD52J =:DED `` DA64:6D[ :?4=F5:?8 E9C66 kDEC@?8mD92CA\E2:=65 8C@FD6k^DEC@?8m[ c_ p>6C:42? C@3:?[ `_ kDEC@?8mtFC@A62? DE2C=:?8k^DEC@?8m 2?5 dd q@96>:2? H2IH:?8]k^Am
kAmq:C5 24E:@? :D D=@H C:89E ?@H[ AC6DF>23=J] q:C5D 2C6 E@@ 3FDJ ECJ:?8 E@ DFCG:G6 C646?E 4@=5 H62E96C] $66>D =:<6 2 8@@5 :562]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Please note: Online comments may also run in our print publications.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Please turn off your CAPS LOCK.
No personal attacks. Discuss issues & opinions rather than denigrating someone with an opposing view.
No political attacks. Refrain from using negative slang when identifying political parties.
Be truthful. Don’t knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the “Report” link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with us. We’d love to hear eyewitness accounts or history behind an article.
Use your real name: Anonymous commenting is not allowed.
.
The News&Guide welcomes comments from our paid subscribers. Tell us what you think. Thanks for engaging in the conversation!