CBC Schedule 2014-2015

115TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

BBC members are encouraged to participate in the 115th Christmas Bird Count, which will take place from December 14, 2014, through January 5, 2015. Sponsored by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. More than 30 count circles are located entirely or partly within Massachusetts. Count dates confirmed as of press time are listed below; changes can happen, however, so participants should contact the count compiler at least a week in advance. Compilers, contact the webmaster if you have an update.

Date to be Determined

Buzzard’s Bay: Jeremiah Trimble (508) 498-9646

Cape Cod: Blair Nikula

Groton-Oxbow: Ron Lockwood (978) 779-5367

Marshfield: Sue MacCallumm (781) 837-9400

Mid-Cape Cod: Peter Trimble and Jeremiah Trimble

Newport County, RI/Westport, MA: Robert Emerson (401) 455-0700

Plymouth: Trevor Lloyd-Evans (508) 224-6521

Stellwagen Bank: Simon Perkins (978) 369-1284 

Taunton/Middleboro: James Sweeney

Truro: Tom Lipsky

Tuckernuck: Simon Perkins (978) 369-1284

Worcester: John Liller

Saturday, December 13

Andover: Donna Cooper (978) 470-2717

Sunday, December 14

Cape Ann: Jim Barber and Jim Berry

Central Berkshire: Tom Collins (413) 499-2799

Greater Boston: Robert Stymeist

Northampton: Jan Ortiz and Janice Jorgensen

Tuesday, December 16

Sturbridge: Mark Lynch (snow/ice storm date December 17)

Saturday, December 20

Athol: Dave Small (978) 413-1772

Millis: Elissa Landre

Northern Berkshire: Pam Weatherbee (413) 458-3538

Quincy: Glenn d’Entremont (781) 344-5857

Springfield: George C. Kingston (413) 525-6742

Sunday, December 21

Newburyport: Tom Young (603) 424-4512

Westminster: Charles Caron

Saturday, December 27

Cobble Mountain: Seth Kellogg (413) 569-3335

Quabbin: Scott Surner (413) 256-5438

Uxbridge: Strickland Wheelock

Sunday, December 28

Concord: Norman Levey, website (preferred)

Greenfield: Mark Fairbrother (413) 367-2695

Nantucket: Ken Blackshaw (508) 238-0209 and Edie Ray (meeting the night before)

January 1

Southern Berkshire: Rene Laubach (413) 623-8803

Twelve Tips for Inspiring Young Birders

The Brookline Bird Club has a long history of its experienced birder members encouraging and supporting rising young birders, and, for decades, has been scheduling trips targeted to children and families. But how do you give youngsters that experience that makes them birders for life? And once they’ve got the spark, how do you keep supporting their interest? The following are tips from BBC trip leader and educator Dave Hursh on how to inspire and lead trips for young birders:

1. Get the word out! Once they're on a bird walk, getting kids excited about birding is the easy part. But many families who would love to participate just don’t know about the resources available to them. Let your friends and coworkers with children know about the Brookline Bird Club, and encourage them to give it a try. Or, if you have school-aged children, consider spreading the word through a school newsletter or parent network.
2. Know your audience. Different age groups will tend to respond more readily to different aspects of birding, so it’s important to try to determine early on the character of any particular group. The fantasy aspect of walking through the woods looking for birds may appeal more to younger children, while older kids may enjoy more the “collecting” aspect, such as completing a checklist, or the "cool factor" of finding a rarity.
3. Scout a route. While it’s good advice to scout ahead for any trip, when leading a trip for kids, it’s especially critical to have some spots staked out where you know that birds will be found and visible. You don’t want a child’s first birding experience to come up empty. Keep the element of surprise - you don’t need to let on that you know what’s going to be there!
4. Find a nest. Depending on the season, it's good to locate a nest or two in advance. Hawk nests are wonderful, but even a robin's nest is appealing. This kind of sighting allows kids - even very young kids who may not be proficient with binoculars - a guaranteed experience of observing something stationary and also a fascinating piece of nature.
5. Bring a scope (if you can). New birders cannot always use their binoculars effectively. Having a scope ensures everyone can get an up close look at an oriole, phoebe, tanager, or any other relatively stationary bird. Plus, many kids have never have looked through a telescope before, and will think it’s cool.
6. Learn names. Try to learn each of the kids' names as quickly as possible and continue to address each kid by name throughout the day, especially the quieter and shy kids. Address each kid in turn every few minutes or so, to make each one feel involved and comfortable speaking.
7. Provide a foundation. At the beginning, it can help to introduce some of the birds that might be seen on the trip, showing pictures from a print field guide or a phone, and highlighting the adventure of trying to track down these different birds. The approach to introducing the birds may be different depending on the age group and personalities of the kids present that day, and someone experienced working with kids can adapt to match the tone of the group.
8. Let them find the bird. Dave describes a trip with 10- and 11-year-olds a few years ago where he told the kids if they found a Northern Waterthrush, which was "probably impossible," then their parents would have to do their homework that night. After intentionally walking right by the spot where a waterthrush had been scouted, one of the kids spotted it, and they worked to identify it. On realizing what it was they all started jumping up and down screaming in excitement that they had found a waterthrush, and exclaiming that their parents were going to have to do their homework (the parents were there and had fun going along with it).
9. Build a narrative. Especially with young kids, the goal is to create a memorable and an impactful experience. Dave will plan an "arc" for the walk, with a beginning (introducing the potential birds, dramatizing the adventure, highlighting the idea of the rarities), a middle (birding around different habitats, general exploration and pointing out songs, nests, or any other teachable moments), and an end (usually leading toward known spots, nests, or location of an aforementioned "rarity,"). The "rare" bird doesn't have to be of hotline caliber, but can be a flashy or big bird (think scarlet tanager or great horned owl) that is something he’s explained the group will be lucky to find, creating the “big moment” of the trip. This appeals to the young child's sense of fantasy and wonder, and creates a truly magical moment in finding the bird later on.
10. See birds! Focus on birds that are easy to see, rather than birds that are frustrating. Even a very common birds like a robin or mallard can be a good opportunity, if the bird is showing well, rather than spending time on birds that are moving fast and are tough to see. In general, go for birds that are perched and out in the open, but in some cases if group members are old enough, they may be up for the challenge of finding a bird that is more difficult to see. It always is important to consider the character and abilities of the group.
11. Stay positive. Sometimes birds may not cooperate and not everyone will see the bird. Stay positive and maybe switch to a funny topic, or start directly talking to the kid or kids who missed the bird about something else. Even something as simple as, "So what's your favorite bird so far?" will keep the conversation going and get them thinking positively.
12. End on a high note. It is great to try to end with something exciting, so if there is a hawk nest or rarity staked out, save that for last.

Leading trips for kids is about having fun, adapting your style to the group present, and feeling that you're on an adventure with them. In short, you have to be a leader who remembers what it's like to be a kid!