Participate in Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count on January 3

Dewees Islanders have a great opportunity to participate in the Audubon Christmas Bird Count on Sunday, January 3rd. If you have never done this, it is great fun, and you will be guaranteed to learn a lot. ( I have learned to identify at least 5 new birds by sight or sound each time I participate.) Members of the Charleston Audubon group join us, and together we compile a snapshot of information which becomes a tiny piece of a huge puzzle. You can join us for all or part of the day, which takes place rain, shine, or fog. Our organizational leader, Cathy Miller, writes:

You will need to bring the appropriate birding gear: scopes (if you have one); binoculars; appropriate clothing for the weather; lunch; and if the weather is warm, consider bug repellent. But some of us should also be prepared to walk the marshes, beach, dunes, and wooded areas to fully cover the island.
Please remember that there is a $5 donation expected for participation in the CBC bird count. These funds go towards the processing of all the data collected from across the country. Each participant will receive a copy of the annual publication of the CBC count.

We usually start at the corner near the landings building, head up to the Fairchild’s porch for coffee and scones, then branch out to the other parts of the island. You can join us for an hour or an part of the day. Call Judy at 259-1713 or email her at judydrewfairchild@gmail.com if you want to join us, provide golf cart transportation for the birders, or just have a friendly cup of coffee. We will have the phone with us during the count, so if you want to jump in, let us know.

In past years, we have seen a lot of neat birds- curlews, shrikes, grebes, orioles, owls, etc. (as well as a Red Fox, a snake in a tree, etc.) Here are some posts from previous bird counts: