Update: Weather cancels Audubon Christmas Bird Count

Update: Flooding and adverse weather has cancelled the event scheduled for today at the River Fork Ranch.

One of the longest running citizen scientist projects in the United States continues on New Year’s Eve as the Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count comes to Carson Valley.

First begun on Christmas Day 1900, birdwatchers go out during the second half of December to list all the birds they see.

On Dec. 31, the River Fork Ranch Preserve in Genoa is hosting the annual count 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 31.

Sponsored by The Nature Conservancy, the Washoe Tribe, the bird count first arrived in Carson Valley in 1965 with the formation of a third sponsor, the Lahontan Audubon Society.

Genoa resident Sonia DeHart served as membership and public relations chairwoman, according to an article appearing in the Nov. 18, 1965, edition of The Record-Courier.

“A field trip is scheduled for Nov. 20 to prepare the Carson City area for its first Christmas bird count,” the article said. That year marked only the second count in Truckee Meadows, according to The R-C.

Audubon Society Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Gray said the annual count develops data that helps determine changes in birdlife.

“Today, the Christmas Bird Count is a prime example of how everyday observations from first-time volunteers and experts alike can make a big difference in understanding our world,” she said. “While the first count started on Christmas, (it) has since become an annual weeks-long community science effort open to all. This winter tradition continues to grow as bird-loving volunteers of all skill levels contribute to more than twelve decades of data.”

She said that last year’s count involved 82,000 participants in 2,600 groups focused on geographic areas across the Western Hemisphere.

Email benjamin.r.sonnenberg@gmail.com or jim.woods@charter.net for more information about the River Fork event.

For more about the bird count, visit www.christmasbirdcount.org.