114th Annual Christmas Bird Count held in U.S.; Lake Tahoe to hold event December 15

The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is widely regarded as the largest and oldest citizen science project in the world. Each year, from 14 December through 5 January, tens of thousands of volunteers head out into the winter to count birds for a day. This tradition goes back to 1900, and in the intervening years, these birders have built a database on bird populations that is unmatched by any other wildlife census.

In South Lake Tahoe, the CBC day will be held on Monday, December 15 unless there is a major storm. The group will meet at Alpina Cafe at 8:00 a.m. It is located at 822 Emerald Bay Rd in South Lake Tahoe.

On the count day, participants will meet in the morning for a brief organizational meeting, and then most will head out to the Cove East Restoration area to go birding as a group. Afterwards, everyone is sent out to their designated areas of the count circle (in our case, a 7.5 mile radius circle centered on the mouth of the Upper Truckee River) to count birds and have fun. This year, thanks to the generosity and hospitality of Sue and Phil Stevenson, we will again be convening at their house for a final tally and pizza at the end of the day's count. It is a fun and social day, and a great excuse to get out and do some birding in the winter. People who don't want to go outside can get involved too, by keeping track of the birds at their feeders.

If interested in other California counts, visit this website.