Have you had a chance to get outside this winter to check out the bird scene? Birders around Frankfort and the surrounding area have been busy logging some hours with their binoculars this season.
As part of the Frankfort-area Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 18, participants enjoyed warmer than typical temperatures, says Peggy Gould, the Christmas Bird Count Coordinator for the Frankfort Audubon Society. Over a combined 49.25 hours, birders counted 56 species of birds and 4,297 individual birds. Four of the species received their highest count numbers, the most notable being the bald eagle, the national bird, with seven individuals spotted.
The temperatures may have dropped from the mild December weather we experienced, but there’s still plenty of reason to get outside and practice your bird-tracking skills. Coming up on Feb. 18-21 is the Great Backyard Bird Count, where birders around the world will work collectively to count birds in their local areas, helping scientists better understand global bird populations before one of their annual migrations.
Follow Woods and Waters Land Trust on Facebook for updates on the Great Backyard Bird Count gatherings happening in our area. In the meantime, get some birding practice by heading over to Vaughn Branch Nature Preserve in Frankfort and use our eBird Field Checklist to guide your search. And be sure to let us know what you spot by sending a note to info@woodsandwaterstrust.org.
Photo courtesy Jeff & Joel Jones
