The Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) has been held every year since 1900. The modern version involves canvassing all the birds one can find in a 15-mile diameter circle in one day during the period from 10 days before to 10 days after Christmas. There are over 2,000 CBC’s in North America and more in Central and South America. The data from these counts is available on-line at http://birds.audubon.org/christmas-bird-count and is used by scientists to assess the health and movements of bird populations over time. I’m the compiler (chief honcho) of the Grass Valley CBC, and also an area leader for the Auburn and Lincoln CBC’s.
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| Rudy Darling |
The Lincoln count has been held each year since 2002. This CBC has led all North American counts for numbers of Western Meadowlarks every year since then. It has led all counts for numbers of Red-tailed Hawks three times and is consistently in the top five for total open country raptors.
I have taken part in the Lincoln count since 2005. As an area leader I’m responsible for coordinating two teams of birders to cover the area directly west of Lincoln. This area includes parts of urban Lincoln, grasslands, many with vernal pools, riparian (river) habitat, and agricultural areas, including rice fields. Thanks in large part to modern management of rice fields, my area features large numbers of waterfowl and shorebirds, and the raptors that are attracted to this readily available food supply. One of my team’s best sightings during this year’s CBC was of a Peregrine Falcon hunting over a rice field, perching in a tree. This beautiful raptor species had been driven nearly to extinction due to egg-thinning from the use of DDT in years past. Its subsequent recovery has been a major conservation victory, and any sighting of one is an occasion for celebration.
Click here to view Audubon Lincoln Christmas Bird Count photo album
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