Gene Stratton-Porter would have been proud of the hardcore birders who went out on New Year’s Day to conduct a Christmas Bird Count at Limberlost. The Christmas Bird Count is a nationwide bird survey run by Audubon which takes place from December 14 to January 5 and has been running for 117 years. The count helps find trends in population patterns to enable birds to be protected before they go extinct.
Through the Christmas Bird Count, Limberlost is preserving not only Gene’s legacy, but the birds themselves. Our CBC covers Limberlost and the surrounding area, giving the birders who participate the most high-quality territory that anyone could ask for, and it has paid off.
On the Christmas Bird Count at Limberlost, we discovered a few unusual species: White-Fronted Goose, Northern Mockingbird, Cackling Goose, and Eastern Meadowlark. Birders also found Northern Shovelers, four Pileated Woodpeckers, and several Carolina Wrens. There were Northern Harriers across the count area, and almost 1000 Canada Geese were seen by a single group of birders and some late Eastern Bluebirds.
Gene most certainly would be pleased.
A Happy New Year from the Limberlost!