National Audubon Society set to host 2 local Christmas Bird Counts
Nov. 30—ERSKINE, Minn. — The Mississippi Headwaters Audubon Society is set to host two annual Christmas Bird Counts in the area this year.
For the ninth year in a row, one of the counts will be held at the Rydell and Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuges on Thursday, Dec. 14.
This year, another one will be held in Bemidji on Saturday, Dec. 16. Interested participants for Saturday's bird count are asked to contact Jaime Thibodeaux at
(218) 308-6853,
email her at
or meet at Country Kitchen at 7:30 to 8:00 a.m. on Dec 16.
As both counts are administered by the National Audubon Society, this public event is the longest-running citizen science bird project in the U.S., and this year marks its 124th year. Counts are held in designated areas throughout the U.S. between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5 each year.
According to a release, information from the counts provides important information on winter ranges of birds, population trends and how a changing climate alters winter bird distribution.
Birds observed in the Rydell/Glacial Ridge Count Circle over the past eight years have included 54 different species including northern shrikes, Bohemian waxwings, red-bellied woodpeckers, Hoary redpolls, northern goshawks, white-winged crossbills and Lapland longspurs.
"People interested in participating do not need to be experienced birders. This event can serve as a learning experience for new birders and those individuals will be paired up with Refuge staff or experienced volunteers," the release said.
Thursday's counting will take place over a 15-mile diameter circle that stretches from Erskine west to the center of Glacial Ridge NWR. Participants can count from a vehicle or on foot, depending on their preference and the weather conditions that day.
Registration is required for Thursday's count and interested participants are asked to meet at the Rydell NWR Visitor Center at 8 a.m. for coffee and a brief meeting with their binoculars and a bird book. If attendees don't own any, the refuge has some on hand for use.
Refuge staff will host a potluck lunch back at the Visitor Center at noon. After a hearty lunch, folks can "call it a day" or can go back out and continue to search for birds.
Those who live within the Rydell and Glacial Ridge Count Circle can even participate by reporting bird sightings at feeders from the comfort of their own homes.
If interested in taking part in Thursday's count at Rydell, register no later than Dec. 8, by calling Wildlife Biologist Ben Walker at
(218) 230-5563
or emailing him at
Ben can also be contacted if there are any questions about the count or need more information.
