Winter does not conjure within most people thoughts of birding. However, the Audubon Center at
Francis Beidler Forest will certainly be focusing on birds over the next few months.
First, from the Lowcountry Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Youth Grant Committee, we received
$2000.00 to purchase 26 pairs of 8x40 binoculars. The binoculars will be used to launch a program to develop young birders.
Image by Mike Dawson
This birding program will enhance the
boardwalk experience for students by allowing them to see and identify birds
that would remain elusive to the naked eye. Albert Einstein said, "Joy in
looking and comprehending is nature's most beautiful gift." We can provide
the old-growth forest in which a density and variety of birds exists throughout
the year. However, we cannot bring the birds close enough for young (or old)
eyes to see sufficiently in order for the observer to appreciate a bird's beauty or the subtle
field markings necessary for proper identification. Lightweight, yet powerful
binoculars allow students to use their observation skills to obtain the
information necessary to identify a bird using a field guide like the one
loaded to all of our
iPod Touches.
With the ability to look using binoculars, students
will have the tools necessary to move toward comprehension, which we believe leads
to appreciation and a desire to conserve the resource for future generations.
Next, the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is rapidly approaching. We will be conducting the
Four Holes Swamp CBC on December 19th. To conduct a count, CBC volunteers follow specified routes
through a designated 15-mile (24-km) diameter circle, counting every bird they
see or hear all day. It’s not just a species tally—all birds are counted all
day, giving an indication of the total number of birds in the circle that day.
From David Yarnold, Audubon president:
Both Audubon and the CBC trace their roots to the late 19
th and early
20
th centuries. The Audubon movement grew out of public outrage at
the slaughter of wild birds, killed so that their feathers could be used to
decorate the hats of fashionable women. This was the case with the magnificent
Great Egret, hunted to near extinction in the early 1900s, and now the symbol of
the National Audubon Society.
The
Christmas Bird Count, proposed by one
of Audubon’s founders, Frank Chapman, began in 1900 as an alternative to
bird-hunting competitions. In these contests, called side-hunts, hunters would
choose sides to see who could kill the most birds. Chapman challenged birders to
count rather than kill birds. This “new kind of hunt” became the Christmas Bird
Count.
Finally, it is not too early to begin thinking of the
Great Backyard Bird Count (Feb. 17-20, 2012)!
The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event
that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time
snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate,
from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes or longer,
if one wishes, on a single day or on each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and
easy—and it helps the birds.
Mark Musselman, education director at the
Francis Beidler Forest, will be
birding at various sites around Summerville on Day 1 (Friday, February 17th). The count will begin at the parking area near
the tennis courts in Azalea
Park at 8:30 a.m. Other stops will include Ashley Ridge High School, The Ponds and Middleton Place. Anyone can join this group for all or part of the
day, especially those looking to learn about birding or improve their bird
identification skills. Anyone wishing to
join this group or simply to follow the progress can check @TheSwampThing (http://twitter.com/#!/TheSwampThing)
on Twitter.
Go forth and bird!
Images (#2, #3) by Mark Musselman
