Cameras were rolling last December 16 on Capitol Hill as a small band of DC Audubon birders gathered at Eastern Market for their annual Christmas Bird Count trek to Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge. National Geographic had sent a television crew to meet us there, at 5 a.m., mind you, and true to their word the reporter, cameraman and sound man were busily preparing their equipment as we drove up. After a shot of the few and the proud standing on the corner drinking coffee in the pre-dawn dark, with the U.S. Capitol lit up in the background, it was off to the refuge, the crew truck following along over the Bay bridge and into the wilds of lower Kent County. As the reporter, Betsy Querna, had explained to me on the telephone a few days previously, Geographic wanted to cover an Eastern seaboard Christmas Count, in a rural setting, for their new cable television anthology show, National Geographic World. Eastern Neck refuge was a picture perfect choice, in my opinion, and we were rewarded with a beautiful day afield in which to savor our few minutes of fame.

The short piece that resulted included some great shots of the refuge along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay with its wintering ducks, swans and geese, a bald eagle flyover, and a few select quotes from our volunteer spokespersons. Our fearless leader, Peter Vankevich, also demonstrated his bird-calling skills. Air date was just a few days later, on Tuesday, December 18, but in our area available only via mini-dish, unfortunately. The program indicates the growing popularity of birding generally, and of Christmas Bird Counts in particular (the 2000 count had over 50 thousand participants, and I'm sure 2001 will top that). As one of our more eloquent members, Mark Titus, explains on camera, the annual Christmas Bird Count is a venerable tradition begun way back in 1900 as a humane alternative to the "side hunt" where shooters chose up sides and declared the largest pile of slain birds the winner. Now, thankfully, side hunts are a thing of the distant past but Christmas Counts continue stronger than ever.

Count instructions are simple: tally all the birds-species and numbers-in your circle (of fifteen miles diameter) in a single day. Easier said than done! Fortunately, circles are pre-established and divided into manageable sectors, compilers and regional editors are ready and waiting, and there is no shortage of repeat volunteers with superior birding skills and a bit of competitive instinct. Complete results are printed in American Birds, a nearly one-inch-thick compilation of count details from all over the U.S., Canada, Central and South America, and the Caribbean and Pacific Islands. The small fee charged for participation ($5.00) covers the cost of compiling and printing this massive tome (those under 18 are not charged).

This year our small party racked up an impressive 70 species in our sector, a considerable improvement over last year's 56 (held in truly foul weather), despite a noticeable decline in waterfowl numbers overall. Did warmer weather keep birds North longer? Did the Summer's drought play a role or did some other factor lower breeding success? The factors affecting bird population dynamics-both short and long-term-are one of the complexities that make long-term data of this kind so interesting and so potentially valuable. To learn more about the counts, and to tap into the vast storehouse of data that has been gathered over the years, go to the National Audubon web page at www.audubon.org and follow the links to the 102nd Christmas Bird Count.

Our participation in the Lower Kent County "CBC" has become a DC Audubon tradition, and we want to invite all members to consider joining with us next year-sorry, we can't promise you'll get on television! But whether you join with us or in another circle closer to home, we urge anyone with more than a passing knowledge of birds to lend a hand. If you're experienced, here's a chance to put those finely-honed bird identification skills to practical use. If you're just starting, you'll be paired up with old hands who know the ropes. While it tends to be more demanding than the typical field trip, most volunteers have a great day birding and eagerly "re-up" the following year. It's more than just a good time, though-it's a chance to give something back in a real citizen science project that contributes to the general understanding of bird life. Audubon's website provides complete details on volunteering. In the meantime, polish those field skills!