This past Wednesday early, a snow storm turned the earth in our valley white for the first time this fall. Although it wasn’t profound and wouldn’t last, it was still attractive and I liked it.
The fact that it was simple to see the birds grazing on the ground was another reason I enjoyed this small amount of snow. Among the brown dead grass and plant stems, some winter sparrows can be difficult to spot.
A very fine whitetail buck deer was taken that morning by a hunter who has been hunting here with permission for years. We have taken a lot of deer on our property over the years, but this 11-pointer with a very large antler spread was one of the largest I can recall seeing.
When the Christmas Bird Counts (CBC) are held, it is typically cold and rifle hunting season is open. The goal of these pre-made, 15-mile-diameter circles is to locate as many birds as possible in a single day. A count compiler receives the information from them and forwards it to the National Audubon Society.
These counts have been conducted for 125 years. The first took place on Christmas 1900, with 27 people spread across 25 places. Nobody could have predicted at the time that nearly 95,000 people would participate in 2023.
To report birds you see, you don’t need to go out and observe them in the wild. Feeder watchers are equally important, and backyards are frequently home to some of the most exotic species.
Over 80 CBC areas have been established in Pennsylvania.
Spending a day in nature, even if you’re not a big bird watcher, is usually rejuvenating and occasionally strangely fascinating. My girlfriend and I once summoned the compiler for the count to come and assist in identifying an odd bird we had discovered at a feeder. It turned out to be an escaped pet of someone.
If nothing else, performing a CBC frequently leads you into unfamiliar places or down highways. Furthermore, you never know what you might witness.
The Great Outdoors
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