Santa Barbara’s Christmas Bird Count: A Great Tradition

Citizen Science at Its Best, Our Annual Count Takes Place on January 4

This spectacular painted bunting was seen on the Carpinteria CBC. | Photo: Hugh Ranson

The Central Coast lost one of its top birders last year with the passing of Brad Schram. Not only was Brad a great birder, but he was always friendly and generous with his time and expertise. Brad was a long-term Santa Barbara resident before moving up to San Luis Obispo upon his retirement. You could always tell when Brad was down visiting because his license plate was distinctive: BIRDSLO.

Only recently did I realize the double meaning behind his message: not only did it identify him as part of a birding community, but it also expressed an attitude. Birding shouldn’t be about racing from place to place seeing how many birds you can list, but it should be about slowing down, being in the moment, aware of the sights and sounds all around you. By embracing this philosophy, you are far more likely to observe new bird behaviors and be in tune to the sounds birds make. By standing still and quiet, birds will get used to your presence and will return to their normal activities, sometimes coming close to you. This heightened awareness can also help you find unusual species.

On this year’s Santa Barbara Christmas Bird Count, I will attempt to emulate Brad’s example. The count is always a highlight of my birding year. I have a whole day set aside just for being with the birds, and there are no other obligations to make me hurry. I hope to make BIRDSLO one of my New Year’s resolutions.

This year’s count is on Saturday, January 4 — no rain, please! Rain is welcome any other day, but it does make our job harder. Every year, the National Audubon Society holds Christmas Bird Counts (CBC), this year being the 125th. Groups across the country go out into the field, or watch backyard feeders, to count species seen and the number of individuals of each bird. Communities record all the birds observed within a 15-mile radius — ours stretches from Ellwood to Montecito. The results are tabulated from all across the country – and beyond — and help to give us an important snapshot of population trends.

Many of us have been scouting locations within the count circle to find where birds are concentrating this winter, and to find any rarities that we can add to bolster our total number of species seen. We are still missing most oriole species apart from Bullock’s, Costa’s hummingbird, and several species of waterfowl.

We are hoping this sage thrasher, seen recently at Elings Park, will stick around for the count. | Photo: Hugh Ranson

Aenean sollicitudin bibendum tortor, euWould you like to be involved in the count? If so, there are two ways you can join in. First, you can request to be part of a group that goes out in the field on count day. The deadline for joining a group is December 21. The other way you can participate is by counting birds that come to your yard or to your feeder. If you choose this latter option, in order for your sightings to be tabulated, you must enter them on eBird. You don’t need to be registered to participate with the latter option. More information, including instructions of how to submit your backyard tally, can be found on the SBAS Christmas Bird Count website:

santabarbaraaudubon.org/santa-barbara-christmas-bird-count.

Another marvelous event our local Audubon Society runs is the Winter Bird Count 4 Kids. This year’s event, the 11th annual, will be held on Saturday, January 25. All kids ages 8-16 are welcome with a responsible adult. Experienced naturalists will teach the basics of birding and how to use binoculars (binoculars will be loaned for those who don’t own a pair), then guide you on a walk around Lake Los Carneros. Children (and adults) will learn how to identify, record, and tally the bird species observed. This is always a great event, and I hope to see you there. See santabarbaraaudubon.org/events/wbc4k for more information.

Carpinteria’s CBC has already been held and was very successful; it looks like the count had its highest number of species ever. Observers there were hoping to add a rare bird to the list, one that has returned for its second winter. The good news is that it showed up after a considerable wait. It’s the painted bunting, a tree ornament of a bird if there ever was one.

Hugh Ranson is a member of Santa Barbara Audubon Society, a nonprofit organization that protects area birdlife and habitat and connects people with birds through education, conservation, and science. For more information, see SantaBarbaraAudubon.org.