MIFFLIN — Hawks and robins and wrens — oh my. Eight members of the Greater Mohican Audubon Society braved the bitter wind and snow to count birds Friday morning.
The group did not just take a leisurely stroll around a park together. Instead, they split up to cover as much ground as possible and yield the most bird sightings for the national Christmas Bird Count.
They gathered at Charles Mill Lake Park near the dam, starting the long day officially at 7:45 a.m., though Gary Cowell had hoped to start at 5 a.m. to search for owls, but the snow kept him inside.
Gary Cowell’s 26th Christmas Bird Count
Cowell is vice president of GMAS and has been a member since 2000, but this year marks his 26th Christmas Bird Count: an annual event where local Audubon Societies across North America collect a census of birds in the area.
“Probably 90% of the birds that I’ll count today and identify, I’ll hear them, I won’t even see them,” Cowell said.
Cowell’s area of coverage was at and around Charles Mill Lake Park, looking for birds in the scattered forests and mallards on the lake. He anticipated staying out until early afternoon, but some bird watchers will stay out until midnight, Cowell said.
Others at the count included Ashland County Parks Naturalist Mary Meixner, GMAS member Christina Stump and former GMAS president Tim Leslie, who mapped out the coverage areas.
“It’s another thing to motivate you to get you out. You get to see people, who you only see once a year on the count sometimes,” Cowell said.
He noted the wind deters the birds from flying around a lot to conserve heat, so this year’s count was not as fruitful as previous years.
But that does not keep Cowell and others from participating in the annual event. Cowell can only recall one time when the count was cancelled due to severe snow, and he didn’t call it off until he was already out counting birds.
Cowell hoped to see winter finches. His partner for the day, Brandon Doup hoped to see winter wren and sandhill cranes.
Together, they observed 45 species, which included: 80 Canada geese, 21 mourning doves, 25 Great Blue Herons, 4 bald eagles, 52 northern cardinals and others.
“I like to try to represent all the species that are present in the area from the data perspective,” Cowell said, pointing out the pigeons flying above.
Cowell became interested in birding in his 30s — after he put out bird feeders for his dog to watch while he was at work. He found himself curious in all the species in his backyard, so he quickly joined GMAS.
“It doesn’t matter where you put me; I’ll find birds anywhere,” Cowell said.
“It doesn’t matter where you put me; I’ll find birds anywhere.”
Cowell
When he can’t find them, he calls for them, a process known as pishing: “ooh, ooh, oohoo” for the barred owl or a “psh psh psh” for smaller birds.
Cowell also participates in other breeding bird surveys in Morrow and Marion counties, for the U.S. Geological Survey
“It’s just been fun for me. I like the data. I’m really into data,”
He also enjoys taking new people along on the counts, and encourages anyone who is interested in bird watching to join their local Audubon Society and download a bird identifying app.
History of the Christmas Bird Count
In the late 1800s, hunters engaged in a holiday tradition known as the Christmas “Side Hunt,” which was a competition to shoot the most amount of birds, according to the National Audubon Society’s website.
On Christmas Day 1900, ornithologist Frank M. Chapman proposed a new tradition to combat declining bird populations: a “Christmas Bird Census.”
It started with 25 different counts ranging from Toronto, Canada, to Pacific Grove, California, according to the website.
Now, local organizations plan a Christmas Bird Count from Dec. 14 through Jan. 5 each year. Most take place in North America, but the count has expanded to include countries in South America.
Audubon and other organizations use data collected from the counts to assess the health of bird populations, and to help guide conservation action.
Other nearby Christmas Bird Counts are listed below:
- The Richland County Park District organized a count on Dec. 20, spanning all day, at the Gorman Nature Center. Contact Luke Donahue at ldonahue@richlandcountyoh.gov or 419-884-3764 for more information.
- Cowell will lead a count in Loudonville in the Mohican State Forest on Dec. 26. He asks those interested to meet at the Loudonville McDonald’s, located at 501 South Market St. at 7 a.m. for territory assignments. Email gcowelljr@yahoo.com for more information.
- Cowell will also lead the Wooster area count this year on Dec. 27, asking those interested to meet at the Bob Evans, located at 550 Robinson Road, at 7 a.m. for territory assignments.