Date: 10/27/26 4:49 pm From: Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Save the date! Kitsap and Port Gamble CBCs
The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was started in 1900 as an alternative to the
Christmas “side hunt”
in which teams competed to shoot as many birds as possible. That year,
ornithologist Frank M. Chapman
proposed a new holiday tradition: counting birds rather than hunting them.
It is now the nation’s longest
running community science survey, with more than 80,000 participants.
Kitsap Audubon Society sponsors two CBC circles. Our Kitsap circle count
will be on Saturday,
December 19. Our North Kitsap/Port Gamble circle count will be on Saturday,
January 2. Volunteers of all
ages and skill levels are welcome to join us. If you are interested in
joining a team, please contact Chuq
Von Rospach (<vicepresident...>). If you live within one of
the CBC circles, you can also
count the birds in your own backyard and submit a feeder watch report to us
at this address.
This year, we are adding new sit and watch events aimed specifically at
newer birders and
accessible to all. One will be held at Point No Point in Hansville and the
other watching Liberty Bay in
Poulsbo. Watch the Kingfisher for details on dates and times for these.
Although joining a CBC is always fun, its true purpose is to conduct a
complete survey of all the
birds seen and heard within the circle on the day of the count. Each circle
is broken up into geographical
areas, and within each area there might be multiple field teams who are
assigned to specific locations.
Other areas may have a single field team which travels by car to many
different locations. Some locations
might be more appropriate for younger community scientists or birders doing
their first CBC. Some field
teams may have limited space due to parking limitations or other logistics.
Even if your first choice is not
available, we can find a spot for you to participate.
We use optics (binoculars and spotting scopes) to get closer looks at the
birds we are identifying and
counting. If you have binoculars, please bring them. A spotting scope can
be very useful, especially at
water locations where birds might be more distant.
Finally, being familiar with our local birds can be very helpful. If you
are new to birding, check out a
field guide, a phone app, or look on www.eBird.org to see which species you
might expect to encounter.
