Christmas Count

The 34th MAS Annual Salmon River
Christmas Bird Count
Sunday, December 14, 2008

For 110 years, the National Audubon Society has been surveying bird populations at Christmas time. This year will be the 35th year MAS has been part of this effort which will be held on Sunday, December 20. Our teams, led by the captains listed below, will scour the countryside in our 15-mile diameter circle centered on the Old Comstock Bridge on the Salmon River (see map) to tally our feathered friends, who invariably provide us with some surprises.
Those of you who have feeders within the circle are urged to use the form on the reverse side to report birds that come to your feeder. Feeder watchers not only contribute to the total bird tally; they have almost always tallied birds that those of us in the field have not found.
We encourage any and all newcomers, experienced birders or not, to participate in this celebration of man-in-nature, sponsored by the National Audubon Society and its hundreds of local chapters and affiliates nationwide. This is the oldest citizen-led science project in the world. If you are interested in taking part, call Alison Guinness at (860) 873-9304. Or call one of the team captains if you would like to participate in his or her count area.
We will all congregate at the Cypress Restaurant on Route 17 in Middletown, going south out of the city, from 5:00 p.m. on, to enjoy the fellowship and the excitement of the tally. Every year has produced a few spectacular sightings—either for the count day or the count week—and unusual numbers of species.

Here are your team captains, their telephone numbers, and their turf:

ALISON GUINNESS (860-873–9304):
Lake Hayward, Route 85 south of Colchester Center; Hopyard north

JOE MORIN (860-635-2786)
Everything west of the Connecticut River except Haddam Meadows State Park

SHARON DELLINGER (860-267-6240):
Bashan Lake, Moodus Reservoir, Beebe Road, Daniel Street

MARY AUGUSTINY (860-873-9612):
Babcock Pond and south, west to the farm near Lake Hayward, Lake View Court, Cabin Road

JOANNE LUPPI (342-1326):
Portland, Cobalt, and East Hampton west of Lake Pocotopaug, Meshomasic State Forest

MARCY KLATTENBERG (860-347-8464):
Haddam Meadows State Park, East Haddam Center, Mt. Parnassus Road (south)

JIM MOCKALIS (860-627-7512):
Lake Pocotopaug, Marlborough and Colchester south of Route 2 and north of Route 16

ED RENESON (860-635-6486):
Hurd Park, Dudley Seymour Park, the warm water canal

TO BE ANNOUNCED:
Salmon River Cove area

TO BE ANNOUNCED:
Route 85 north of Colchester Center, Marlborough north of Route 2

Backyard Tally Sheet (for people within Count Circle)

Count Circle Map