Despite the name, the Christmas Bird Count doesn’t happen on Christmas Day, it’s more like the Christmas Vacation Bird Count. It starts the weekend before Christmas, and ends the Sunday after New Year’s Day. It’s on different days, in different locations, so that groups can count in as many areas as possible. Today is the day for Colorado City, Rye, and San Isabel to be counted.
We first met members of the local Audubon group in 1984, when they came here to count birds for the Christmas count. They come here every year because we have such a remarkable bird habitat. We’re in that transition area, where the mountains meet the plains, so we have well over 150 species of birds here throughout the year. We also have a pond, fed by a small stream, that attracts much wildlife, including many different ducks. It’s always exciting to see what the birders will find when they visit.
The annual bird count is a valuable way to keep track of species that are endangered or species that are increasing in numbers. It’s all done by volunteers, and the information goes into a nationwide database. If you want to read more about it, here’s a link: Christmas Bird Count
David Silverman, a Rye resident, is leading a group today for the count. If you think you’ve seen an unusual bird in our area, you can contact him to let him know. I’m going to be paying special attention today, too. Here’s one of our familiar snowbirds, enjoying the suet in the juniper tree.
Dark-eyed Junco
