As the year begins to wind down, the seasonal tidings bring family and friends from far and wide. As I stroll down tinytown, windows are decorated with Christmas bulbs and painted words are etched in the windows. Santa’s sleigh and several reindeer sit on top several homes, and melted snowmen hide underneath their top hat. Several children pass me on the sidewalk and diligently tell their parents how good they were this year and to put in a “good word” to Santa.
I find that this time of the year I look forward to not only the joyous celebrations but also to the Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count. It is the remarkable 113th year that volunteer citizens can come together and engulf themselves in the bird nerd world. I am just an amateur in identifying birds but I always go with a novice and several other volunteers. The whole day is spent ‘oohing and ‘ahhing every creature that flutters by. We see far more warblers than we would like and several crows “yell” at us from a distance. Yet, early watchers have seen several species that I hope will stick around to be included into the yearly count. In Lake Placid, a Golden Eagle has been spotted and several individuals have also seen possibly the very same Eagle in Tupper Lake. I have never seen a Golden Eagle but you can be sure that I never leave the house without my binoculars, in hopes, that I can catch a glimpse of this beautiful creature gliding in the sky.
Another species that is not common in our area is the Pacific Loon. This Loon was spotted at Pillar Point in Jefferson County. Several bird nerds have spotted the species off South Shore Road. Therefore, if you are in that neck of the woods swing on by to Pillar Point with binoculars in hand to catch a glimpse of the Loon.
Many species come and go in our neck of the woods and I enjoy seeing old friends that return to the landscape year after year. So if you would like to participate in this wonderful program, contact your local Audubon society for their annual Christmas Bird Count.
May you all have a very merry Christmas!