Seven Swans a Swimming, Six Geese a Laying...

The Twelve Days of Christmas must have been written by a birder.

Who has not sung or is not familiar with all the counting that goes on in that most famous of Christmas Carols? Did you ever wonder why all the fuss about counting birds? Someone must have been fixated then and probably still is to this day, especially at this time of year. The Christmas Bird Count, or CBC has been going on since the year 1900 with (now) tens of thousands of participants. Granted the majority are not "egg"-headed scientist types, just ordinary citizens doing the counting, but the Audubon Society has been "counting" on them for over 100 years to "feather" their nest of information on birds. The Enderis Park Bird Watching Club (EPBWC) did their part once again this year for the cause. Although 14" of fresh snow had fallen the day before in the Milwaukee area, 6 intrepid "counters" took wing (first for a doughnut and cup of Joe) and then to their mini vans, Durango, and Prius. With maps of "area 16 and 20" in their midst, the group stepped out into the 27 degree air and looked skyward.

The wind brought the temps near zero degrees but that did not dissuade Tammy, Don, Jill, Julie, Nola (and the Birdstud here) from carefully scanning each tree, bush, and open area for their quarry and putting a dash mark aside each enumerated species. Why do this you may ask? My answer would be; Why Not?! The data is valuable, the camaraderie exceptional, plus it's fun to get your fanny outside in the elements from time to time for the sheer exercise. Area 20 was covered by the group in the AM and Area 16 by me in the PM.

The counts we submitted to the Schlitz Audubon Center on Saturday December 20th are as follows:

Area 20 (Final Count)
American Crow - 5
American Robin - 31
Goldfinch - 100
House Finch - 7
White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
Hairy Woodpecker - 1
Downy Woodpecker - 3
Dark-eyed Junco - 4
Northern Cardinal - 9
House Sparrow - 31
European Starling - 105
Northern Flicker - 1
Black-capped Chickadee - 13
Cooper's Hawk - 2
Mourning Dove - 5
Pigeon - 27
Herring Gull - 5
Mallard - 10
Blue jay - 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1
Red-tailed Hawk - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3
Total Birds - 366


Area 16 (Final Count)
American Crow - 8
American Robin - 30
Goldfinch - 35
House Finch - 35
White-breasted Nuthatch - 2
Downy Woodpecker - 3
Dark-eyed Junco - 19
Northern Cardinal - 16
House Sparrow - 60
European Starling - 180
Black-capped Chickadee - 10
Mourning Dove - 13
Herring Gull - 3
Mallard - 10
Fox Sparrow - 1
Tree Sparrow - 1
Total Birds - 426