Published: January 05, 2009 10:30 am      

Christmas Bird Count

By Brad Hicks / Staff Writer

As Granville Cox stationed himself near a pond on Sally’s Branch Road, with binoculars at the ready, he heard a call in the distance.

“That’s a Pileated Woodpecker,” he said almost immediately, identifying the bird just from the sound.

Moments later, there was another call.

Again, Cox instantly identified the sound.

“That’s a Red-bellied Woodpecker,” he said.

A group of local citizens gathered Saturday to count and identify the birds around London that didn’t go too far south for the winter.

For the second straight year, the London Bird Club held its Christmas Bird Count, which is just what the name says. Participants count the number of birds they see throughout the course of the day, with their final tallies to be used for research.

The bird counts are performed all over the United States, Canada and Mexico. Cox said information compiled during the counts is sent to the Audubon Society, which has tallied the results of Christmas Bird Counts for the past 109 years. Last year, the bird count was just a trial for the London Bird Club, but this year the results count.

“We’re just getting started with this count,” Cox said.

The information collected by the club members will be sent to the Audubon Society, who compiles information on the behavior of birds.

“It gives population trends the movement of birds,” Cox said.

Saturday, the group spent the day identifying and counting bird species in various areas within a 15-mile diameter from the center of London. The day started for Cox at 5:30 a.m., as he went around areas of Laurel County searching for owls. He said that he has been “birding” for approximately 30 years and continues to do so around three times a week.

“Birding is a relaxing and satisfying hobby,” he said.

London Bird Club member Wendy Allen said she has seen information that states birding is ranked second of hobbies in the United States only to gardening. She also said she saw an article that stated the money spent on birding in the state of Kentucky exceeds the money spent on hunting. Allen said the club wants others to come out and take part in the bird counts.

“That’s why we do programs at schools, to get young people interested,” she said. “We want to get the community interested.”

And there are plenty of birds to be on the look out for. Cox said in all, there are 363 species of birds that can be seen in the Commonwealth.

“Now a lot of them can’t be seen in the winter, and vice versa, a lot of winter birds can’t be seen in the summertime,” he said. “But year round, you can possibly see 363 species of birds in the state of Kentucky.”

The quick identification of a bird through their appearance and calls, Cox said, comes with experience. In total, Cox said from his travels and experience with birding he has marked 312 birds off of his “life list,” a list of different bird species one has seen.

“You learn from experience how to count flocks,” he said. “Another thing that helps is going with somebody more experienced than you are.”

Another thing that helps is Cox’s iPod full of bird calls. He said he not only uses the recorded calls to lure birds closer for counting, but also to familiarize himself with various types of calls.

“A lot of birding is done with the ears, too,” he said.

Another count will be conducted locally in May and the Great American Bird Watch, which anyone can participate in nationally, is set for Feb. 14. Cox said anyone interested in participating in future watches or wanting information on the London Bird Club can contact (606) 878-1144.

“It’s (birding) something that grows on you if you’re inclined to do that sort of thing,” he said.