Andy McCormick, CBC Coordinator
Saturday, December 14, 2019 is when Eastside Audubon will hold its Christmas Bird Count (CBC).
National Audubon has been organizing the Christmas Bird Count since 1900 and this marks the 119th year, as well as Eastside Audubon’s 36th CBC. We will be sending teams into the field and you are invited to join. You can also count birds at your feeder if you live within the count circle.
JOIN A CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT TEAM, Birding 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced birders can play a part in the CBC. Each team spends the day following a planned route with stops to tally the birds they find. View the list of count areas and team leaders on the EAS website and then register online to join one of the teams
COUNT BIRDS AT YOUR HOME FEEDER: Any 2-hour period between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
If you live within the Eastside Audubon Count Circle, you can count birds at home for the CBC. Here is what you do:
Register online with Eastside Audubon as a Feeder Counter.
Count the birds in your yard on Saturday, December 14 for at least two consecutive hours.
List the names of the bird species you see and tally the number of each (e.g., Dark-eyed Juncos-12, Steller’s Jays-2). Remember to total only the largest number of each species you see at one time. Do not count a chickadee every time they visit your feeder. If at one time you see two chickadees, your count is 2. If at some time during the two hours you see five at one time, your count is 5.
Before 5:00 p.m. on December 14 enter your data into the Feeder Watch Data Entry portal. You will be given instructions on how to do this. Or you can email a list of the birds and numbers to Andy McCormick, the CBC compiler.
CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT DINNER, 4:30-6:00 p.m.
At the end of the CBC day, everyone is invited for a complimentary casual dinner. We enjoy a hot meal, review the birds we saw during the day, and celebrate another successful Christmas Bird Count. Please register to attend the Christmas Bird Count and Dinner at the EAS website.
WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR COUNT DATA?
Along with hundreds of other Audubon chapters nationwide, we send our tallies to the National Audubon Society for compilation. Bird researchers have access to the data and can analyze the information to produce reports such as the one National Audubon recently released. We are also using the data to identify trends in status and distribution of birds and to plan for habitat preservation and restoration. The information is available for you to use at: