The Westfield CBC will be Wednesday December 16th, sunrise to sunset! If you would like to participate, please contact the count compiler, Dotty Zales, at zales66@hotmail.com by Friday, 11 December.
Please include the following information: 1. Your name, 2. others in your party, 3. preferred territory, 4. the times you can be in the field, and 5. your cell phone number for calls or texts during the count. Following receipt of your information, count instructions, territory assignments and exceptions to the above will be sent to you by email or text.
As is our tradition, Loess Hills Audubon members will be participating in several local Christmas Bird Counts (CBC) in the coming weeks. However, the National Audubon Society, as sponsor of these counts, has issued guidelines to minimize Covid risk during these events.
In general, these guidelines would mean the following changes to the usual procedures followed:
There will be no assembly for territory assignment and instructions prior to the counts. Rather, assignments and instructions will be sent out previous to the count by email or text.
Participants will not gather for lunch, as is the custom for most counts. Rather, bring your own lunches for eating in the field.
There will be no social gatherings for data compilation and refreshments at end of day. Rather, participants will receive instructions on how to submit your lists and numbers to the count compiler.
Participants will not be placed in teams for purposes of mixing experience levels or social mixing. Rather, teams will be made of household members, others with low risk and wearing masks or those traveling in separate vehicles.
We are all grateful that this annual event will be held and that we will be able to bird much as usual, though we will miss the camaraderie.