Audubon society offers bird identification classes

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Photo courtesy Susan McAdams A house finch enjoys a meal from a feeder. Local residents are encouraged to report the number of birds and species that visit their feeders on Dec. 19. Photo courtesy Susan McAdams
A house finch enjoys a meal from a feeder. Local residents are encouraged to report the number of birds and species that visit their feeders on Dec. 19.

By Dottie George

Special to The SUN

The Weminuche Audubon Society invites local residents and visitors to join the longest running citizen science survey in the world, the Christmas Bird Count (CBC).

Here in Pagosa, the count will take place on Dec. 19. After a day counting birds, participants are invited to attend a wrap-up party from 4 to 7 p.m. at the CSU Extension building, 344 U.S. 84.

To prepare for the count, Audubon Rockies’ Becky Gillette is offering a bird identification class, “Winter Birds 101,” on Dec. 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the South Conference Room of the Ross Aragon Community Center. An additional class will be presented on Dec. 16 from 5:45 to 7:45 p.m. at Higher Grounds Coffee.

The CBC is a 116-year-old program of the National Audubon Society. Each year, thousands of volunteers across the western hemisphere participate in this early winter bird census.

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