Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

Get out your binoculars and note pads, because it’s time for the Christmas Bird Count—a project of the National Audubon Society. December 14 through January 5, volunteers count birds during a 24-hour period inside defined 15-mile diameter circles throughout the state.

05—But there aren’t any on December 25th—you can’t compete with family time and ripping open presents.

There is that. Non Game Ornithologist, Cliff Shackelford says volunteers submit their observations to the lead person, called a compiler.

05—That compiler then crunches all the numbers and turns in—nationally—a count for the whole circle.

Now, if you can’t get to a circle, but you have bird feeders in your yard, you can still contribute as a feeder watcher.

23—That’s someone that just merely watches out their back window and looks at the birds coming to the feeder and just counting those things. It’s a really good niche for someone that’s not able to get out if it’s too cold, or you’re just not physically able to get out, or maybe you have a newborn at the house, These are people that might have their eyes open watching the feeder and can contribute.

Find additional feeder watch programs that take place at other times of year; just do an online search and use feeder watch as your search term.

The Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… supports our series as well as conservation programs in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti