Individuals from around the community will participate in the ninth annual Delaware County Christmas Bird Count Sunday, Jan. 4, the last Sunday of the count period, to provide an early-winter bird census.
The Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society coordinates three regional Christmas bird counts — in the Oneonta region, the Fort Plain region in Montgomery County and in Delaware County. Pamela Peters, the organizer for the Delaware County count, said Dec. 16 that the count includes all of the birds participants can see within 24 hours. Most people count from about 7:30 a.m. to about 5 p.m. when the sun sets, Peters said.
The count circle, the center of which is at Bear Spring Mountain in Walton, was established in Delaware County in 2016. It is divided into different territories within a 15-mile diameter circle.
It is difficult to predict what the outcome of the count will be because the weather plays a significant role in results. Peters, who lives in Franklin, said there has been more snow this December than in previous years, so there could be more winter raptors or owls hunting.
“It just depends on the water,” Peters said. “If the water is frozen, the rivers and the ponds, you are not going to see as many water foul. You have to wait until a few days before the count to really know what to expect.”
She added that she is not sure there has been an increase or decrease in specific species, as it varies from year to year. When it is really cold outside, there are not as many wild turkeys, Peters said, and it can be harder to find water foul with a lack of open water.
There is usually about the same number of bird species each count, Peters added, about 40 to 50 species. Once in awhile, she said, they will see a bird they do not see most years, like a baby blue bird or cedar waxwings. One year counters saw a great blue heron, which is unusual for the winter, Peters said, as they prey on fish and insects, typically found in open waters.
Otherwise, Peters said counters tend to see birds like feeder birds, chickadees, woodpeckers, red tailed hawks and bald eagles.
If people would like to get involved with the bird count, Peters said there are two means of doing so. There are established teams that drive around looking for birds, and Peters said they could contact her to get them into a team if there is still room. According to the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society website, Peters can be reached at ovenb1rdp@gmail.com.
In the event that somebody lives within the circle — in the villages of Walton, Hamden or in Downsville — and they have bird feeders, Peters said they can count the birds at their feeder on the day of the count.
“It contributes to the greater knowledge of our bird populations, and it is something that the average citizen can do, which is great,” Peters said. “It is great to have the average citizen be able to go out and contribute to science. This data is shared with people all over the world.”
Sandy Bright, the main point person for the Oneonta Bird Count — which took place Sunday, Dec. 14 in its 57th year — said Dec. 15 that count was centered in Milford. She said the worldwide bird count is the “longest running citizen scientific research study anywhere,” for about 100 years now.
The tradition is so long running, Bright said, that it has been effective at showing trends over the decades.
Regarding local trends, Bright said certain birds are migratory and other species are nomadic, meaning they don’t migrate to one place every year and instead go where the food is.
Some nomadic bird species include red crossbills and evening grosbeaks. When the Oneonta Christmas Bird Count started in the late 1960s, Bright said evening grosbeaks made up a large portion of the birds seen, arriving to the area in flocks of hundreds.
“They’re fun, but if you are trying to keep a feeder full, they can drain your feeder very quickly,” Bright said.
That was many decades ago, Bright said, but now people are thrilled to see much less. In 1971, she said 1,483 grosbeaks were counted out of 4,758 birds in all in the Oneonta count and in recent years were not found at all.
“This is due to habitat loss in boreal forests, loss of a key food source from pesticide use, and possibly climate change,” Bright said.
In Delaware and Otsego counties, both Bright and Peters said there are people who often get up extra early in the morning to find owls. As the organizer, Bright said she provides a sheet with all of the bird names, common bird names and species seen on a regular bases, and people can make tallies there.
She added that others use eBird, run by Cornell University, an app used to record bird counting data. The bird counts take place between Dec. 14 and Jan. 4.
“The Christmas Bird Count in particular would keep track of, for one thing, what birds are hanging around longer than they used to,” Bright said. “What birds are not coming down from Canada or coming down in fewer numbers than they used to?”