Audubon bird count

SHARON — Back in the 19th-century, it was a holiday tradition in New England to venture into the woods and try to shoot as many birds as possible. In 1900, the National Audubon Society decided it might be better to count the birds instead of shooting them. And now, 110 years later, the Audubon bird count remains one of the world’s most productive bird research events.

The bird count at the Sharon Audubon began in 1961, the same year the chapter was founded. A decade later, Bob Moeller (who was the center’s director at the time) first participated in the count; he has been the official compiler of data for the Northwest Corner count ever since.

“The purpose of doing the count is really to have a good time looking for birds during the Christmas season,� he said, adding that at the same time, “It has developed a body of knowledge unsurpassable in bird study.�

The National Audubon requires that any of the chapters participating in the annual bird count conduct their event between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5.

Each participating group searches for birds within a circle 15 miles in diameter. There are more than 2,000 of these circles nationally.

For the Sharon Audubon, the circle radiates out from the intersection of routes 112 and 41, where The Hotchkiss School is located in Lakeville.

This year, on Dec. 19, about 25 birders participated in the Sharon bird count, dividing into eight teams.

Some got out as early as 4:30 a.m., and many didn’t return to the Audubon until very late at night.

Once all of the teams  returned,they shared a potluck dinner and recorded and discussed their data. The atmosphere at the dinner was jovial, with a hint of competition.

“It becomes a little bit of a contest to see who gets the best bird, who gets the most birds, things like that,� said Sharon Audubon Director Scott Heth.

Moeller is in charge of keeping track of the data, which he compiles using a large chart listing all of the birds that are generally found during the bird counts. Once all of the species that were spotted by the different teams are recorded, Moeller transfers the information to a chart that contains the data for each year since 1961.

This information is then sent to the National Audubon, which gathers the results to determine larger patterns of bird populations. Any unusual sightings in an area must be verified and proven to the National Audubon; photos are essential, so teams sometimes revisit locations to get the proof they need.

This year, the 25 birders who participated counted 70 species of birds, which is slightly above the average amount of 67 (although the average for the last 10 years has been 72). Notable sightings included a red-shouldered hawk, which hasn’t been seen in the area since 1965, and a significantly larger population of red-breasted nuthatches than in previous years.