Climax of the Christmas Bird Count

For 4o years the National Audubon Society has organized a Christmas Bird Count by volunteers across the United States, Canada and other Western Hemisphere countries. They count birds over any 24-hour period from mid-December through early January.

It took place today in the Northampton area, organized by our Hampshire Bird Club, followed by an early evening meeting with a pot-luck supper; here the tables have been cleared away and the 36 teams are about to report their numbers (for dozens of bird species, I think), to be entered on a detailed spreadsheet projected at the screen--most of the volunteers attending are not visible. Not incidentally, the HBC's program chairman, Geoff LeBaron, has served as the organizer of the national count for many years.