Mid-Coast Audubon has scheduled three Christmas Bird Counts for the 2014 holiday season. These counts are as follows: Sunday, Dec. 14, Pemaquid-Damariscotta with Dennis McKenna as compiler (207-563-8439), Monday, Dec. 15, Bunker Hill with John Weinrich as compiler (207-563-2930), and Saturday, Dec. 20, Thomaston-Rockland with Don Reimer as compiler (207-273-3146).

These bird counts are conducted in every state of the union and many international locations during the holiday season. The data collected, along with other citizen scientist studies such as Project Feeder Watch and the Breeding Bird Census helps researchers, conservation biologists and other interested parties to study the long-term health and status of bird populations across North America.

In 2007, the data obtained from these studies was key to the development of two Audubon State of the Union Reports: "Common Birds in Decline," which demonstrated that some of America’s most beloved and familiar birds have declined noticeably over the past 40 years, and "Watchlist 2007," which identified 178 rarer species in the continental U.S. which have become imperiled.

The three compilers cannot promise comfortable birding conditions, only the satisfaction of contributing to a huge national and international citizen scientist project.
Those who opt to bird from their own homes, yet who feed birds during the winter months, can also contribute by reporting the sightings with numbers to the count. Any feeder observer who feels that they have an unusual sighting should report the bird to the compiler prior to the count date. For example. during the Damariscotta count last year, a Baltimore oriole was spotted.

All interested participants should contact the compiler of the specific count. At that time, a rendezvous point and specifics of the day will be discussed.