Our Mission: The Mattabeseck Audubon Society, a chapter of the National Audubon Society, is committed to environmental leadership and education for the benefit of the community and the earth's biodiversity.

deKoven House, 27 Washington Street, Middletown, Connecticut 06457

Christmas Count

 

HOllyThe 49th Annual MAS Salmon River
Christmas Bird Count

Sunday, December 17, 2023

The Mattabeseck Audubon Society will hold its 49th Annual Christmas Bird Count on Sunday, December 17th. The count circle you see here is a 15-mile diameter with the Salmon River Covered Bridge in Colchester as its epicenter. Our count is part of The National Audubon Society’s Annual Christmas Bird Count which started in 1900, with 25 teams and 27 participants, in North America and has grown to 2600 teams, over 80,000 observers, and involves 28 countries! The NAS Christmas Count takes place every year from December 14 through January 5. The data obtained helps researchers to identify the overall health and condition of bird populations and informs strategies to protect birds and their habitats for generations to come.

Anyone can participate on count day. We have 11 captains who cover their part of the count circle. Some teams have several members, and some teams only have 1 person! As you imagine, this puts our count’s longevity in jeopardy. It also underestimates the true number of birds that are present. The pandemic seems to have lit a fire under some folks and there appears to be more interest in birdwatching, and nature in general. We hope something will spark you to join us this year!

If braving the weather doesn’t interest you, we also need volunteers to watch their bird feeders on the day of the count. If your home lies within our 15-mile diameter count circle, please send us your species and bird count so your backyard birds are counted in our final tally numbers.
I encourage anyone with a social media account to spread the word about the Christmas Bird Count. You can head to National Audubon Society’s page to read about the fascinating history of this annual event and see great pictures from around the country, and world.

Doreen Jezek, co-compiler, and I are open to any suggestions you have that will help us keep this most important, and longest running, citizen science project alive and well in the years to come.
Feel free to reach out any time:
rsdell@comcast.com or dajezek@gmail.com


Respectfully submitted,
Sharon Dellinger, co-compiler Salmon River

After a long Count day, we will meet at Farrell’s Restaurant in Portland, starting at 4:30 p.m., for dinner and to report some count results and any unusual sightings from the day.

 

The Salmon River Count territory includes a 15-mile diameter circle centered on the Old Comstock Bridge on the Salmon River in Colchester (see Count Circle map). The circle includes parts of Cobalt, Colchester, East Haddam, East Hampton, Haddam, Marlborough and Moodus. You do not have to be an expert birder to participate. All are welcome!

• Please keep bird lists in taxonomical order.
• Please use lists provided (see links below).
• Please provide details for any rare, strange, or unusual bird—a photo is always good.

MAS sign

If your home is in the count circle and you would like to remain indoors, you are still able to participate! Watch your backyard and count the birds that you see (species and numbers) on December 17th. If you see anything unusual, be sure to write down as many details about the bird as you are able. Use Count Tally form and forward your sheet to one of our compliers. Finally, if you feed the birds in the winter, please be sure to have your feeders filled that day!

DOWNLOADS: various count forms (please ignore any date or year in the forms, they don't change):

Count Circle Feeder Watcher form (as .pdf, interactive or for printing)

Salmon River Species List (as .pdf for printing)

Salmon River Species List (as .xls Excel file)

Count Team Captain Summary Report Form (in .pdf)

Count Team Captain Summary Report Form (as .docx)

Christmas Count Rare Bird Documentation Form (as .pdf)

2023 Christmas Count letter-size Poster (as .pdf)