Each year, small groups of birders venture out for the sole purpose of counting birds. This free event, known as the Trixie Strauss Christmas Bird Count, has been scheduled for Sunday, December 30th from 12:01 am to midnight. Audubon Sharon’s count area is a 15-mile circle with its center at Hotchkiss School, thus taking in some of the good birding areas in Sharon, Salisbury, Falls Village, Amenia, and Northeast. Teams from all over the state and all over the country take part in Christmas Bird Count, and all of the numbers are compiled and reported to help better understand flock formations and migrations.
You don’t have to be a great birder to enjoy Christmas Bird Count. And, if it’s cold outside, you don’t even have to get out of the car! “Feeder watchers” are also always appreciated. If you would like to participate, but would rather not leave the comforts of your home, you can choose to count the birds at your bird feeders, even if only for one hour. Your numbers can then be given to our compiler Zach Adams right after the count and they will be included in the overall Christmas Bird Count report. Forms for the bird feeder count can be picked up at the Sharon Audubon Center on Route 4 in Sharon, CT. You can also call the Audubon Center to find out who the “area captains” are so you can contact them to learn meeting places and times throughout the day. At 10:00am, birders can participate in bird walk at the Sharon Audubon Center, located at 325 Cornwall Bridge Road in Sharon, CT, as an introduction to Christmas Bird Count. Participants can either leave after the program or stay to help with the CBC.
At approximately 5:00 pm, the teams congregate at the Sharon Audubon Center to turn in their data, enjoy some hot food, and determine who has the best hold on “bragging rights” for the day’s finds. Even if you can’t join us in the field, you are welcome to join us at the Center to hear the results. We ask anyone who lives in the surrounding towns to fill up your bird feeders to help with our counts! Please contact the Center at (860) 364-0520 or contact Zach Adams at zadams@massaudubon.org if you would like more information on the Trixie Strauss Christmas Bird Count.
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