Happy 107th Audubon


Grab the binoculars, the bird identification guide, and head for the fields — it’s time to brush up on birding.

The 107th annual Christmas Bird Count begins Dec. 14. The Audubon Society’s oldest ongoing tradition continues through Jan. 5.

Never participated in a bird count event before? Check out last year’s summary issue of American Birds at www.audubon.org/bird/cbc/106thSummary.html for a glimpse of what goes on, or up, at one of these group wildlife outings.

The birding wildlife tradition that began Christmas Day 1900 with 27 participants and 90 bird species sightings now has a following of 50,000 observers, according to the Audubon Society. This conservation tradition grew out of the 19th century holiday practice of side hunting, where guests competed to shoot and bag the largest feathered quarry.

Courtesy: Christine S. Diamond, The Lufkin Daily News