Outdoors: Volunteers continue old tradition

[Donna]

Nearly 30 volunteers continue old tradition

During the annual Bloomsburg Christmas Bird Count, held Dec. 20, about 28 field observers braved cold temperatures, wind and snow to record their findings.

"Nearly 9,000 individual birds were counted," noted Cathy Haffner, the CBC compiler.

The 15-mile radius of the CBC includes nine groups which disperse from specific locations within their coverage area. "This circle was established 39 years ago by Bob Sagar, a retired professor at Bloomsburg University," she added.

"The wind was a factor for our group that day," said Douglas Gross, Endangered Bird Specialist & PA e-Bird Coordinator. "Birds just seem to hunker down and stay out of the wind and out of sight. It was hard to hear any birds out in the open, so many birds were missed because they weren't heard."

Most of the birds are identified by sight. Once their calls are heard, it's easier to locate them. "Hardly any birds sing in winter," Gross added.

"Carolina wrens sometimes do, so do northern cardinals and song sparrows. We find owls mostly when they vocalize. Great horned owls are singing with their hoots each morning and night -- that's the exception," he explained.

The CBC data is then fed into a larger database. "It goes to the Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count database, which is free and open to the public. This is part of the Avian Knowledge Network of bird databases administrated by Cornell University in a big matrix of bird databases," he said.

Aside from the common wintering birds that frequent bird feeders, there were also some unusual ones. "There were three bald eagles, one each in three different groups," said Haffner. "There was also a peregrine falcon around Montour Preserve, three rough-legged hawks and several northern harriers foraging over CREP fields in Greenwood Township. Pine siskins were found in the Montour Ridge area," she added.

"The most common bird in this year's Bloomsburg count, by far, was the European starling, with approximately 2,800 individuals counted," she said.

Other common birds were Canada geese, dark-eyed juncos, rock pigeons, mourning doves and the American crows. "All these species have been the top counts in past Christmas Bird Counts, Haffner said."

Gross observed a yellow-bellied woodpecker near Millville, a hermit thrush and swamp sparrow in Greenwood Township. "They stay low, but I get them from their chirp note," Gross said.

The CBC is more than a simple bird count. It gives volunteers, called "citizen scientists," a glimpse into the changes of habitat occurring in their given areas.

"We are losing a lot of bird habitat through development, especially in the rural townships," Gross observed. "One of the most under-appreciated habitats is what we call an �old field' -- an overgrown field dominated by goldenrods, asters, grasses, blackberries and peppered with viburnum and dogwood shrubs. In hunter's terms, �rabbit habitat' that is also good for many birds.

"I've heard a few people say they cut the goldenrod because it causes hay fever. This is nonsense because ragweed is the cause, not goldenrod.

"Modern agricultural practices also leave many fields open and bare all winter. Few birds will be found here.