HAGERMAN, Idaho — For 125 years the Audubon Society has invited its members to conduct a Christmas Bird Count. In Idaho, the Prairie Falcon Audubon Society has counted birds every winter for 50 years. The data collected is a snapshot of bird health across North America.
- The Prairie Falcon Audubon Society conducts five Christmas Bird Counts each winter. Counts in Twin Falls, Jarbidge and Hagerman have already finished — still to come are the Buhl bird count on Jan. 1 and the Jim Sage bird count on Jan. 4 near City of Rocks.
- In February, the group plans to hold a photography presentation where members can share their bird portraits. Information about that can be found on the Prairie Falcon Audubon website.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
"This count, the Hagerman count, is our 50th anniversary,” said Sarah Harris, a member of the Prairie Falcon Audubon Society.
I met up at dawn with Harris and about a dozen others at the Hagerman Wildlife Management Area. The day’s activity: counting birds.
"We'll probably only see between 80 and 90 species today,” Harris said. “But thousands of individuals.”
For 125 years the Audubon Society has invited its members to count birds wherever they are across the county. Harris explained why that’s important for our area.
“The Christmas bird count is conducted at this time of year because this is a little snapshot of resident birds,” Harris said. “Migration is over with, the breeding season is over with. These are Hagerman Valley birds. And so this gives us an opportunity to look at population trends, and keep track of what's going on with the birds.”
Emily Groves was among the birders, listening intently for birdsong.
“I can identify most birds that I hear, there are some that I’m like, eh? But I can identify most sounds that I hear,” Groves said.
Groves told me she has been birding for eight years. Since she has no light perception and can’t see any colors or shapes, she relies on her ears to identify birds.
“Many famous ornithologists, which is professional bird scientists, have said that 80% of bird watching is listening,” Groves said. “Most birders that don't know how to bird by ear like to have someone who does know how, because they detect way more birds if they do.”
Another birder, Jim Irwin, prepared to spend the day counting birds on the river from a boat.
“I've been doing Christmas bird counts here in the Magic Valley for around 40 years,” Irwin told me. “It's really fun and the more you know about the outdoors, the more you appreciate, the better you are so that includes knowing plants, knowing the birds, knowing the animals, understanding their lifecycle, understanding what they're doing, understanding what attracts you are those are all kind of things that just make enjoyment more.”
"Today is magical,” Harris said. “It's so nice. I mean we've had days blizzards and ice and other years it's rained and so this is absolutely wonderful.”
