(Sherburne, NY – Dec. 2014) The Chenango Bird Club will conduct the annual Sherburne Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, Dec. 20. Chenango Bird Club members have conducted the Sherburne count since 1980, though this is the 115th Audubon Society sponsored Christmas Bird Count overall.
The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is 24 hours from midnight to midnight on Dec. 20 where birders in the area try to see and hear as many birds as they can. Our count area is a circle, centered at the intersection of Routes 12 and 80 in Sherburne, with a 15 mile diameter.
While some hearty souls get out at midnight Saturday morning to listen for owls, most Christmas Count participant’s spend about four hours between breakfast and lunch in the morning covering an assigned territory. If you’d like to join a team for all or part of the day, please come to the meeting or call count organizer, Fred von Mechow at 607-674-4214.
We’d love to hear from folks who have feeders within the count circle who would be willing to allow us to watch their feeders or who would like to call in results of watching their feeders on the 20th. Farmers can help by spreading manure a day or two before the count to attract birds like turkeys, gulls, waterfowl and winter finches.
Everyone interested in the Chenango Bird Club, bird watching, or participating in the Christmas Bird Count is encouraged to attend the planning meeting at Rogers Environmental Education Center’s Bird Exhibit Cabin, on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m.
Refreshments will be served.
Program attendees are welcome to stay for all or part of the evening activities.