The Newton Conservators invites all to join the Newton Christmas Bird Count on the morning of Sunday, December 15. Be a Citizen Scientis, and learn more about local birds. Groups of birders head out in the morning to open space areas of Newton to count birds on that date and report back the numbers for each species seen. Birding experience is not required since you will be part of a small group with an experienced leader.
Birders will meet at 7AM in Newton Highlands, divide into groups, and then disperse to areas around the city to count birds. For the very early birders who want to count owls, a group will be heading out at 5AM if it’s not raining or snowing. Later that day, the Newton count data from the groups will be combined with data from other areas within the Greater Boston count circle.
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 / Newton Centre, Crystal Lake, Newton Commonwealth Golf Course, Chandler Pond, Charles River (from Watertown to Waltham), Calvary Swamp, and the Cheesecake Brook area.
Register to receive more details by email as the date grows closer.
The Newton count is organized by Liane Hartnett (lianehartnett26@gmail.com) and is part of the Greater Boston count circle, one of very many across the country.
The most common question people tend to ask is “how do you know that you don’t count the same bird twice?” Well, you can’t know for certain, but we try our best! It’s notable that we often see four calling birds or even seven swans a swimming, but not a partridge in a pear tree!
The National Audubon Society organizes the overall worldwide count. Expert birder, Peter Alden, wrote an article, How a Christmas Bird Count Works, about what happens in a count.
