This column is about birding – the observation and study of birds. I was tempted to call it The Twitcher because in England, where I grew up, we called birders “twitchers.” An internet search informs me that “twitching” is a British term used to mean “the pursuit of a previously located rare bird.” Though this is always an exciting pursuit and I have been fortunate to observe some rare birds in my lifetime, my interest is in their everyday observation. As David Sibley said when asked “What is your favorite bird?” I agree with his reply, “It’s the one I’m watching.”
So what does a birder do in winter other than fill his feeder? This past Sunday over 50,000 birders in more than 2,000 locations participated in the Audubon Annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC), started in 1902. The data received over the years is used to track trends and plays an important role in monitoring bird species and the effects of development, habitat losses and climate change.
For the CBC, birders volunteer to survey a specified area and count the species and numbers of birds seen. Photographs are requested to verify rare bird sightings. I participated in a small section of an area 15 miles in diameter called the Oxbow/Groton circle. Our count was sent to Ned Toll, who coordinated the eleven Harvard and Devens sections. Ned tabulated the final count and sent it on to the Oxbow/Groton coordinator, who in turn sends it to Audubon. Audubon publishes the data and articles on the CBC in a Christmas Bird Count edition of American Birds magazine.
My wife Pam and I volunteered for the area bounded by Ayer Road, Shirley Road, Prospect Hill Road and the north edge of Bare Hill Pond. This year seemed quiet compared to other years with no real surprises or rarities observed. We saw a couple of Golden-Crowned Kinglets at the end of Willow Road flitting around high up in some oak trees. Golden-Crowned Kinglets are a bird I have only occasionally seen, but they are very distinctive: small in size and marked with a yellow crown. We saw four different species of woodpeckers: the Downy and Hairy, which are similar in looks but different in size; the Red-bellied, which is extending its historical range northward (possibly due to climate change); and the dramatic Pileated, which is our largest woodpecker. I first identified the Pileated at the Tufts-Scorgie conservation land by its distinctive call and then positively identified it flying and landing on a snag (don’t cut those dead trees down as they are vital to some species’ survival).
The next edition of Wingin’ It will feature more thoughts on winter birding and further description of local species found during the Christmas Bird Count.
David Durrant lives with his wife, Pamela, on East Bare Hill Road at Micheldever Farm, where they run their business, Durrant Design, and watch birds—their own peacocks, chickens, and wild birds.
