This year’s Seneca Maryland Christmas Bird Count will be held on Sunday,
December 16. The count circle is centered at Riley’s Lock on the C&O Canal in
Montgomery County, Maryland, but two fifths of the count circle is in Northern
Virginia in roughly equal portions of Loudoun and Fairfax counties, divided
into five sectors. The Virginia portion of the count circle extends along the
Potomac River from just southeast of Goose Creek in Loudoun Co. down to Great
Falls National Park in Fairfax Co. and goes as far as Sterling, Herndon, and
Reston.
This is a lot of territory to cover, and it is very important to the overall
results of the count. We are looking for Northern Virginia birders who can help
with this count in the field or at bird feeders. We welcome birders of any
level of experience. To count in the field, you will be assigned to a sector
and, depending on your level of experience, will be teamed with someone who
knows the area and the birds. You can count for part or all of the day. If you
live in the count circle but are not able to join us in the field, you can
still participate in the count by tallying the birds that come to your feeders
or are otherwise around your yard on the 16th.
If you are interested in joining us for the count, please contact either of the
co-compilers – Mark England -- mengland@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or Jim Nelson –
kingfishers2@xxxxxxxxxxx . If you have particular areas in the circle where you
would like to bird, let us know, and we will try to accommodate you. If you
would like to participate by counting birds in your yard, let us know your
location so we can confirm that you are in the circle and provide counting
instructions.
Mark and I would like to thank you in advance for your help with the count.
Jim Nelson
Bethesda, MD
kingfishers2@xxxxxxxxxxx
301-530-6574
