A Holiday Tradition For Birders

 It's that time of year when the annual Christmas bird counts are taking place all around the northeast.  Prior to 1900 it was tradition to shoot as many birds as possible. Counting them seems to be much more in the Christmas spirit. I participated in a local count over the weekend. 

The day before the count I started out early in the morning crossing the train tracks and heading down toward the river to start a dry run through the count circle territory.

I found a Merlin on top of a wooden post out on the water.  I believe it was just outside the count circle so I tried to signaling it to fly up river.

While Santa decides who's naughty or nice I'm searching for ponds free of ice.

On the day of the count some people are curious as they see us wandering through the neighborhood in search of birds. Some stop by to say hello or wish us luck. Others fill their bird feeders to help our efforts.Even the deer are curious about what we're doing.

For me the Christmas count is not just about collecting data. It is a way for birders to participate in a fun tradition around the holidays.  It is also a reminder that all birds big and small are of great importance to us all. That includes Song Sparrows.