Valley birders ready for 25th count

In 1900, scientist and writer Frank Chapman set out to observe, identify and count birds as an alternative to the traditional Christmas Day hunt in which people would see who could shoot more birds. Little did he know that Chapman started the longest-running bird count on that day.

The Christmas Bird Count has become a conservation effort that spans generations, and is significant to scientists studying bird populations and behaviors.

"Backed with over a century of participation and collected data, the Christmas Bird Count is the longest-running, volunteer-based bird census, spanning three generations," said Geoff LeBaron, the National Audubon's Christmas Bird Count director. "The CBC has evolved into a powerful and important tool, one probably inconceivable to any of the 27 participants on the first Christmas Bird Count."

Locally, the event is slated for Dec. 19, with the "center" being at Four Corners. From there, teams will travel by foot, four-wheeler, snowmachine and just about every other means, covering all areas within seven and a half miles of Four Corners. This year marks the 25th Christmas Bird Count in Wasilla.

"I've been doing it here since 1997, but I've been doing Christmas Bird Counts since 1979," Bob Winckler, the local event organizer, said. He previously counted birds in Adak.

Winckler said if people live within seven and a half miles of Four Corners, they can participate simply by watching their feeders and recording the information. There will also be teams of counters who will travel around the area.

If people have never counted birds or participated in a bird-counting project, they shouldn't worry -- they'll be paired up with team leaders who have years of expertise. The event is a fun one socially, and leads to important findings.

"Having fun while birding can yield important results that affect bird conservation," LeBaron said.

Following the bird count, local birders are meeting for a potluck, where the species will be identified and the counts tabulated.

The event is enormous, with the Valley event one of several thousand that will take place from the middle of December through January.

More than 55,000 volunteers from around the world participate in the Christmas Bird Count, from all 50 states, every Canadian province, parts of Central and South America, Bermuda, the West Indies and the Pacific Islands.

Local volunteers are asked to pay a $5 participation fee, which helps cover the cost of the Christmas Bird Count. For more information, or to volunteer, interested people can contact Winckler at 376-594 or through e-mail at winckler@mtaonline.net.

The results from counts around the world will be available at the Web site www.audubon.org/bird/cbc. There, you can sort results based on a number of criteria.

The site also has the results of individual bird counts for every year the event has been held.