What are YOU doing the day after Christmas? Important Nokesville bird count could use your help

Birders and other volunteers can participate in the National Audubon Society’s 117th Christmas Bird Count, which is held annually by groups on any one day between Dec.14 and Jan. 5. The Nokesville Circle will take place on Mon., Dec. 26, starting at 7 a.m. at Merrimac Farm Wildlife Management Area.

The National Audubon Society’s annual bird count compiles collected data and posts it on Audubon.org. The count is the nation’s longest-running citizen science project, providing a snapshot in time on the status of bird populations over time, such as change in locations and numbers due to environment or habitat. According to the Audubon Society’s website, “The long-term perspective is vital for conservationists. [The count] informs strategies to protect birds and their habitat and helps identify environmental issues with implications for people as well.”

Birding enthusiasts in this area are invited to help in the Nokesville count, sponsored by Prince William Conservation Alliance (PWCA), by identifying and counting birds in the survey area or in the backyard. In addition, people are needed to prepare and serve food at the Merrimac Farm Stone House when the birders return from the fields.

According to the PWCA’s December newsletter, joining the Christmas Bird Count is a “great opportunity to meet the remarkable variety of birds that spend the winter in Northern Virginia.” Last year about 50 volunteers identified 19,302 individuals in 89 species and added three species to the Nokesville list.

The Nokesville circle has a 15-mile diameter and covers 113,000 acres and is centered at Merrimac Farm Wildlife Management Area. Volunteers will search the farm, part of Quantico Marine Corps Base, Cedar Run and Foggy Bottom Wetland Banks, Nokesville Park, Historic Brentsville Courthouse, Bristoe Battlefield, some 10-acre properties and small farms. Fauquier County areas include sites along Elk Run Rd. and in Catlett and Calverton.

Said Kim Hosen, PWCA’s executive director, “The Christmas Bird Count is always the highlight of my winter. Last year we found three species that were new to the Nokesville count: a Common Yellowthroat at the Cedar Run Wetland Bank and a Palm Warbler and Canvasback seen at Quantico. It will be exciting to see who’s around this year. It’s a fun day and very rewarding to be part of a larger effort that makes a difference.”

To help in the bird count, contact PWCA at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call 703-499-4954.