This is a reminder. The annual Seneca Christmas Bird Count (CBC) will
be held Sunday, December 17. The count circle has a radius of 7.5 miles,
centered on Violette’s Lock on the C&O Canal on the Maryland side of the
Potomac River, and includes important areas of Fairfax and Loudoun
Counties in Virginia. Our count circle is divided into sectors each with
a Sector Leader.
I am the compiler for the Seneca CBC. The Seneca CBC has been conducted
almost every year since 1955. Last year, our 115 counters in the field
and 13 feeder watchers racked up 100 species (including 3 never before
found on this CBC) and 26,640 individual birds. We could not have done
this without the many volunteers who helped us, both old timers and new
participants, counting in the field and in their yards. We always need
new people to help with the count.
The Fairfax and Loudoun County portions of our count circle (described
below) contain lots of interesting habitat and are very important to the
success of our count. We need additional folks, regardless of your
birding skill level, to help count birds in the field. Doing a CBC can
be a lot of fun, a great learning experience, and a chance to meet other
birders. Those of you who use eBird will find the CBC to be a natural
fit. If you are interested in counting in the field, please contact me.
Let me know where you are located and your level of birding experience,
so I can place you in an appropriate sector. We love having newer
birders join us, and we will make sure you are teamed with a more
experienced person for the count.
There is also an important role for folks who can’t get out in the field
on December 17 but live inside the count circle and like to watch birds
in their yards and at their feeders. You can contribute very useful
information to the CBC too.
In northern Virginia, the border of the count circle extends from the
Potomac River just downstream of Great Falls, swinging south through
northern portions of Reston and Herndon, passing south of Oak Grove,
through Sterling, then swinging west and north just east of Ashburn and
Lansdowne, coming back to the Potomac near Elizabeth Mills Park. If you
live inside this area and you are interested in reporting the birds you
observe in your yard and at your feeders on December 17, please let me
know. I can confirm whether you fall inside the count circle and make
arrangements for you to send in your yard/feeder count.
I will be happy to answer any questions you have about the CBC.
I look forward to your participation.
Thanks in advance.
Jim Nelson
kingfishers2@xxxxxxxxxxx
