Christmas is for the Birds!

By The Port Huron Parks and Recreation

Blue Water Audubon Society is cooperating with the St. Clair County Parks and Recreation Commission to host the Christmas Bird Count in the Port Huron area this holiday season. The National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count is in its 124th year and is one of the country’s oldest and largest community science efforts. The data collected by volunteers during this event are used by scientists and conservationists to study and protect birds all around the world. 

In the Port Huron area, the Christmas Bird Count will take place during daylight hours on Sunday, December 17. Volunteers are needed to drive around St. Clair County in previously determined areas in what is called a counting circle, to help with spotting, identifying, and recording bird sightings. Volunteers with less experience will be paired with experienced birders. Volunteers are also needed to count and record birds at their own backyard feeders within the counting circle. Portions of St. Clair, Kimball, Wales, Clyde and Fort Gratiot townships are included in the counting circle, as are the cities of Marysville and Port Huron. Maps and instructions will be provided to all volunteers. To volunteer or ask questions, contact Gerry Pink, the Christmas Count Co-coordinator, at gepink63@gmail.com or 810-367-3195. 

Residents in the counting circle and beyond can also help by cleaning and keeping their bird feeders full of high-quality seed and suet. This will help the volunteers who are counting birds to spot them on the day of the count, and if feeders are kept full, it also helps the birds themselves to get through our long Michigan winters. Residents are reminded that during the Christmas Bird Count, volunteers will be driving slowly on roads within the counting circle and will be stopping and using binoculars frequently to look for birds. 

The Blue Water Audubon Society (BWAS) welcomes all interested in the study of birding. BWAS sponsors field trips and educational meetings. Our meetings include an educational speaker and are free and open to the public. Meetings are held the second Monday of the month at 6:15 p.m. from October-May at The Pointe community center, 5085 Lakeshore Road, Fort Gratiot MI 48059. Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/261255820627222.