Take part in Audubon’s national bird count

DINGMANS FERRY, PA — Local bird enthusiasts will have an opportunity to join in the National Audubon Society’s century-long tradition, the annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC), on Sunday, December 20, either by joining birder Pete Wulfhurst at the Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC) in Dingmans Ferry, or by responding to Audubon’s call for volunteers in the vicinity of White Mills.

At PEEC ((www.peec.org)), from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Wulfhurst will assist PEEC’s birders in documenting all the bird species in a 15-mile radius around PEEC. Pre-registration is required. Call 570/828-2319, leave your name and phone number and PEEC will get in touch with you with all the specifics for the day and the count. The cost is $5 payable to Audubon Society.

The Northeast PA Audubon Society is also looking for volunteers to help with the count within a 7.5-mile radius of White Mills. The count will begin at dawn and end when the last volunteer is finished.

“Volunteers can give as little or as much time as they want to the effort,” said Barbara Leo, the count coordinator. “You can simply sit and count birds at feeders, or you can partner with an experienced birder. One does not need to be an expert to participate.”

To volunteer, call 570/253-2364.

The first CBC in 1900 was a demonstration of early conservation efforts by the newly organized Audubon Society. Twenty-seven people participated and reported 18,500 birds representing 90 species. By 2000, the number of volunteers had swelled to 52,471, and included counts in many different countries. The data collected represents the longest running database of bird sightings and provides valuable information for scientists studying population trends and movements over time. Much of this data has been used in understanding causes of declining bird populations.