Come one! Come All! Join the Fun! It is the season for The National Audubon Society 116th Annual Christmas Count.

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1 Come one! Come All! Join the Fun! It is the season for The National Audubon Society 116th Annual Christmas Count. "The Christmas Bird Count, started by Frank Chapman along with 26 other conservationists, was a way of promoting conservation by counting, rather than hunting, birds on Christmas Day of Now in its second century, the CBC has evolved into far more than just another holiday tradition. It is the longest running Citizen Science Survey in the World. With the cumulative historical CBC data now on- line, there are many thousands of individual counts from December 25, 1900 to the present available for perusal and scientific research. You can access the data by going to the CBC website at Birders and enthusiastic nature lovers in Elkhart and St. Joseph County or surrounding areas are invited to join birders across the western hemisphere in Audubon s longest running wintertime tradition, the annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) held between December 14th and January 5th each year. Each CBC volunteer observer is an important contributor, helping to shape the overall direction of bird conservation, says Geoff LeBaron, National Audubon s Christmas Bird Count director. The South Bend- Elkhart Audubon Society sponsors two local counts - Elkhart and South Bend. You can participate in either or both of the counts two ways, as a feeder counter or field observer. FEEDER COUNTERS If you feed birds and live in one of the count circles (see map of count circle at bottom) you can count the birds coming to your feeders on the day of the count for your area (January 2, 2016 for Elkhart and December 19, 2015 for South Bend) You do not have to watch your feeders all day; you can observe them for periods of time throughout the day. Be sure to record the amount of time that you watch your feeders. You count the maximum number of individuals that you see at one time at your feeder. Report only the maximum, not the sum of the number seen at different times, for each species. For example, if you see 3 Northern Cardinals at 8 am, then 2 at noon, and 5 at 4:30 pm, you would report 5 Northern Cardinals for your feeder count. You are not restricted to just the feeder birds. You can count the birds in your yard and area around your home too. A list of common feeder and birds is at the end of this web page. Send your feeder reports to: For Elkhart County - R. DeCaire compiler - rdecaire@elkhartcounty.com or call For South Bend - V. Riemenschneider compiler - vriemens@earthlink.net or call FIELD OBSERVERS The field observers cover the various habitats within the count circles and are usually assigned to teams of two or more observers who count within specific areas. You should have a bird book and a pair of binoculars to join in the field count and be

2 somewhat familiar with the birds in the area. Field observers cover their territory by foot, boat, bicycle, car or combination and record the number of miles and time spent in each travel method. They count all birds observed trying not to recount areas they previously counted. A tally sheet is provided to each field party to record their sightings, hours and miles. Field observers can come from any location, you do not have to live within count circle. Both the Elkhart and South Bend Count end with compile potlucks that are open to both field and feeder observers. To participate in the counts, see the information below for contacts and meeting places or vriemens@earthlink.net and I will send you the information needed to participate. South Bend Christmas Bird Count On Saturday, December 19, 2015 South Bend-Elkhart Audubon Society will hold its 72 nd Annual South Bend Christmas Bird Count. Feeder and field counters are needed for this to be a successful count. If you live within 7.5 miles (as the crow flies) of the intersection of Michigan and Washington Streets then you can be a feeder watcher on the 19th. See the above for instructions. Please or telephone your count to Vic Riemenschneider ( or earthlink.net). If you want to participate in the field count, please contact me, Vic Riemenschneider ( or earthlink.net). We will have a potluck supper after the count to compile the field totals at 5:30 p.m. at Riemenschneider residence, Brick Road, South Bend. Vic Riemenschneider, South Bend Compiler Elkhart County Christmas Bird Count The South Bend-Elkhart Audubon Society and the Elkhart County Parks are calling upon volunteers to assist with the 20th Annual Elkhart County Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, January 2, Local citizens can help by participating one of two ways: Field Observers will be assigned an area and given maps to count birds within a designated part of Elkhart County. Teams will bird by car and foot from dawn to dusk. Participants should dress for the weather, and bring binoculars and field guides. Field observers will meet at Ox Bow House Shelter in Ox Bow County Park on Saturday, January 2, 2016 at 7:30 a.m. Ox Bow County Park is located at County Road 45 in Dunlap. Feeder Counters can count birds in their yards. Participants must live within count circle. See instructions above and map at end.the Elkhart County count circle is centered at the intersection of County Roads 18 and 23 and has 7.5 mile radius for the count circle. Bird watchers are encouraged to contact Ronda DeCaire with the Elkhart County Parks at or rdecaire@elkhartcounty.com to register their name, address, and phone number and address for the January 2, 2016 bird count. A soup dinner will be held after the count at the One Room School House at Bonnyville Mill County Park.

3 THE ELKHART AND SOUTH BEND CBC CIRCLES ARE SHOWN BELOW. Elkhart Christmas Count Circle

4 South Bend CBC circle (Note: the area in Michigan is not included in the South Bend count.) Other CBC locations in Indiana and surrounding states can be found at Audubon Christmas Bird Count web site. The results of all the previous counts can be reviewed there also.

5 Appendix: Checklist of feeder birds Checklist of COMMON FEEDER BIRDS OF WINTER in Elkhart-Niles-South Bend Area. Christmas Count Feeder Form (Alphabetical listing by full common name, names in bold type are most common in area) American Crow - C American Goldfinch - C American Robin - O American Tree Sparrow - OW Black-capped Chickadee - C Blue Jay C Brown Creeper - OW Brown-headed Cowbird OW Canada Goose (near river, lakes) Carolina Wren O Cedar Waxwing - O Common Grackle OW Common Redpoll OW Coopers Hawk - O Dark-eyed Junco - CW Downy Woodpecker - C European Starling C Golden-crowned Kinglet - O Hairy Woodpecker - O House Finch - C House Sparrow C Mallard (river, lakes) Mourning Dove - C Northern Cardinal - C Northern Flicker - CM Pine Siskin - OW Purple Finch - OM Red-bellied Woodpecker - C Red-breasted Nuthatch - OW Red-headed Woodpecker - O Red-winged Blackbird OW Ring-billed Gull (near water) Rock Pigeon C Sharp-shinned Hawk - O Song Sparrow - O Tufted Titmouse - C White-breasted Nuthatch - C White-crowned Sparrow - OW

6 White-throated Sparrow - OW BIRDS OF WOODED LOTS (Some of these birds will visit waterbath or special feeders but most stay in forested area) Barred Owl Eastern Bluebird - O Eastern Screech-owl O Eastern Towhee - O Great Horned Owl O Northern Mockingbird U Red-tailed Hawk - O Winter Wren - OW Yellow-bellied Sapsucker OW C common all year; CW common during winter; O occasionally found in feeders and yard; OM migrants that may visit feeders or yard; OW may be found in yard or feeders during some winters; U - uncommon ADDITIONAL SPECIES OBSERVED: Observer(s) Address: Telephone: Time spent observing feeders: Produced by the South Bend-Elkhart Audubon Society, serving the Michiana Area since Telephone Web site: Please join us for good birding fun. SBE Audubon Home