by Lottie Bushmann, President

Hi all!

I hope this finds you well and looking forward to the change in seasons. Before I became a birder, I dreaded what I considered the drabness of winter. I couldn’t have been more mistaken. Where I once saw a field of “dead” plants I now see habitat and so much life. It’s  just different. Birding right now couldn’t be more fun. The leaves are down making birds more visible, and the plethora of sparrows gives our brain the mental challenge of i.d. while giving our necks a much-needed break from warblers.

One way I learned to enjoy winter birds was by participating in the Christmas Bird Count. This year it is on Saturday, Dec. 14^th. It is one of the longest running citizen science projects, and we do it right here in Columbia. We are not kidding when we say all skill levels are welcome. If you’re a beginner, we’ll pair you up with a more veteran birder. We want to count every bird, so having many eyes is important. Email me at lottie.bushmann@gmail.com to get placed on a team. We also hope everyone will join us for the Christmas Bird Count Chili Potluck.  I think there is a mistaken idea that if you weren’t out counting birds, you can’t participate. Not true! What better time to come celebrate winter than by spending a congenial evening talking about the birds of Boone County and where they are hanging out. Bring a dish to share (you know the drill…chili, side dish, or dessert), and we’ll look forward to seeing you there. You can hear the count of birds and see what all the fuss is about, and perhaps you’ll be inspired to participate next year. For added fun we will have a Bird Feeder Camera that will be a door prize at the Chili supper! More details in this issue of the Chat!

A big thank you to Robb Jacobson for coming this past month to speak to us about his career working on the Missouri River. I admire Robb for the work he has done. It was an incredible talk and all those that attended learned a lot. We all know habitat is directly connected to the health of our bird populations.

We hope to see you at our meeting in January at the public library. It is part of our outreach to the community series of meetings, but we hope to see Audubon members there as well. We will talk about Amy Tan’s book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles.  It is a beautiful book and one that inspires the reader to pay attention. I think most birders or bird watchers have already figured that out, but it is a fun read. The meeting will be an opportunity for folks to share their reaction to her story as well as a chance to share their own personal story of how they were drawn to birds and birding.

However busy this season finds you, I hope you’ll be able to find some time to spend in nature.

Happy birding!