Would you like to be a Citizen Scientist? Do you want to know more about local birds? You can do both by joining the Newton Christmas Bird Count on Sunday, December 17th! Groups of birders head out in the morning to areas of Newton to count birds on that date and report back. Data are collected from Newton and surrounding towns and compared to numbers from years before. No birding experience necessary since you will be part of a group with an experienced leader.The Christmas Bird Count will be held on Sunday, December 17th this year. If you wish to participate, please email lianehartnett26@gmail.com. Birders will meet at 1 Raeburn Terrace, Newton Highlands at 8 am and divide into groups and head out to count birds. For the early birders – who want to count owls – a group will meet at the same address at 5:30 am. If it’s raining, the owl count will not take place.
Some of the areas covered by the groups include:
- Newton South, Kennard, Saw Mill, Houghton Gardens, Hammond Pond and Webster Woods
- Newton Cemetery, City Hall, Edmands Park, Bullough’s Pond
- Cold Spring, Mason Rice and Newton Centre Crystal Lake
- Newton Commonwealth Golf Course, Chandler Pond
- Charles River, Calvary Swamp, Avery Woods, Cheesecake Brook (meeting 7 am, Daly Ice Rink)
The National Audubon Society organizes this event which is described on their website:
https://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count
The Newton count is part of the Greater Boston count circle, one of very many across the country and beyond! Expert birder, Peter Alden, recently wrote a nice article, “How a Christmas Bird Count Works”, on his sparkbirding.com website:
https://www.sparkbirding.com/post/inside-a-christmas-bird-count
The most common question people tend to ask is “how do you know you don’t count the same bird twice?” Well you can’t know for certain but we try our best! We often do see seven swans a swimming or four calling birds. If you are curious as to what birds were actually seen last year, read Liane Hartnett’s account in our Jan 27, 2023 e-Bulletin HERE.
The Greater Boston Count Circle
