The holiday season is the right time for birding enthusiasts to take part in a tradition with roots dating back to 1900 — the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count.
Beginning on Christmas Day 1900, ornithologist Frank M. Chapman and member of the newly formed Audubon Society, proposed a new tradition, a “Christmas Bird Census” that would count birds during the holidays rather than hunt them for dinner or sport.
In Jefferson County, the Admiralty Audubon Society runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
Latecomers can help by bird watching on feeders located away from streets.
Sequim-area count
The annual Sequim-Dungeness Christmas Bird Count occurs this year on Monday.
If you are interested in participating, please email Bob Boekelheide at bboek@olympus.net to sign up.
The Christmas Bird Count covers a 15-mile diameter count circle with the center near the intersection of Brown and Port William roads — including Dungeness Spit, Dungeness and Sequim bays, Protection Island, Diamond Point and some of the foothills south of Sequim
Even if you can only count your backyards or stroll around your neighborhood for an hour or two (assuming you live within a 15-mile diameter count circle), you can help out.
There also are field parties assigned to specific areas of the count circle. If you are an experienced counter, you may be able to help with areas not covered by others.
The center of the SDCBC circle is near the intersection of Brown and Port Williams roads, so it includes Dungeness Spit, Dungeness and Sequim bays, Protection Island, Diamond Point and some of the Olympic foothills south of Sequim.
Neah Bay bird count
The annual Neah Bay Christmas Bird Count will be held Tuesday.
If you are interested in participating, please email Charlie Wright at cwright770@gmail.com.
Rifle shoot planned
The West End Sportsmen’s Club has scheduled youth (ages 12-17) and adult 22LR long rifle shoots at the club in Forks on Saturday. The contests will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Format will be a split the pot with a top shooter prize.
Each round will be a $1 to $3 buy-in.
For more information, contact Jason Earls at 360-640-4346.
Leland in winter
Quilcene’s Ward Norden visited the nearby Lake Leland Fishing Pier during recent cold weather. The lake was planted with 3/4-pound trout before Thanksgiving, but the near-freezing water temperature has the fish lethargic.
“Those two anglers on that pontoon boat would have been far better off to have stayed in their nice warm trucks with baits cast out 30 feet from the beach with their fishing rods propped up outside to signal a telltale nibble,” Norden said.
“Winter fishing on Lake Leland is always better from the beach until the water gets up above 40 degrees, usually in mid-March.”
NOAA photo contest
Students in grades 5-12 are invited to participate in NOAA’s Picture Climate Change student photo contest.
NOAA is asking students to submit photos and tell stories that show how landscapes, wildlife or way of life has changed due to recent climate shifts.
For more information, visit www.noaa.gov/student-photo-contest-2023.
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Contact sports reporter Michael Carman at mcarman@ peninsuladailynews.com.
