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Hundreds of Maine Bird Watchers Help Collect Data for Scientists

Courtesy Doug Hitchcox

SCARBOROUGH,  Maine - The Audubon Society'sChristmas Bird Count is underway. It's an annual tradition going back more than 100 years, but the findings could bring new and important information.

Here in Maine, as hundreds of bird watchers brave winter weather over the next few weeks, they'll collect valuable data that should help scientists get a clearer picture of how climate change is impacting the environment.

It's a sunny - but cold - afternoon in leafy, suburban Scarborough. Doug Hitchcox and Scott Cronenweth walk the short distance from their car through some woodland to a pre-selected vantage point. A stunning vista opens up, revealing hundreds of acres of saltwater marshland.

Hitchcox, a staff naturalist with Maine Audubon, looks through his high-powered telescope and spots a flock of ducks in the water about a quarter of mile away - but not just any ducks. 'Wow, they're all pintails," he says. "Yeah, incredible - one, two, three..."

Hitchcox counts 19 northern pintails, nearly triple the number he's ever seen together at this time of year, as they tend to migrate further south for the winter. Moments later, a great blue heron is spotted in the distance, gliding just a few feet above the salt marsh looking for prey.

Hitchcox and Cronenweth do not add this one to the bird count tally - they're pretty sure it's the same heron they saw out there earlier today. There's quite a bit of room for error in a survey like this, says Hitchcox, which is why the Christmas bird count needs to collect as much data as possible.
 

Credit Tom Porter / MPBN
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MPBN
Doug Hitchcox, left, and Scott Cronenweth seeking out birds in the marshlands of Scarborough.

(Audio of bird sounds): Those sounds are being made by Hitchcox and Cronenweth. It's called "pishing" and it's a technique used by ornithologists to attract birds by imitating them.

It appears to work: Soon afterwards, a Carolina wren is spotted - birds which, until a few years ago, were not seen as far north as Maine. Hitchcox says it's a good example of the changing migration patterns of recent years.

"There are some species that are noticeably moving north, which we can assume might be a result of climate change, and possibly southern Maine going through a warming period," he says.

Another example he cites is the eastern bluebird, which, until about 15 years ago, was never spotted wintering in Maine. "Last year, cumulatively, all the counts in Maine counted a little over 300 individual bluebirds, so that's a pretty drastic change in a short time frame," Hitchcox says.
 

Credit Tom Porter / MPBN
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MPBN
Doug Hitchcox, left, uses a telescopic lens to look for birds in Scarborough, as Scott Cronenweth looks on.

Scientists say the changing climate also poses an existential threat to many species. A seven-year study released by the Audubon Society in September concludes that hundreds of North American birds are at risk of extinction by the end of the century.

Keeping track of all this avian data is a huge effort, and the Christmas bird count relies on thousands of skilled volunteers across the nation and overseas. It's not the place for novice birders, as identifying and counting birds can be tricky business.

Scott Cronenweth has been a volunteer for 20 years. "I'm very devoted to it," he says. "I'm quite busy these days and don't have a lot of time for casual birding, but I feel like I'm part of the team."

He and Hitchcox, who are among about 100 volunteers on the count in Scarborough, have been on the go since before 3 a.m.  Twelve hours later, they've identified 53 different species and counted several thousand birds.

"It's beautiful to be able to make a contribution and do something that's so enjoyable," Cronenweth says. "The added challenge of the counting, and taking the extra time and effort to see all that's there, it's really fun."

The Audubon's Christmas bird count runs through the first weekend in January. There are 32 bird counts occurring across Maine over the next three weeks. Doug Hitchcox says he expects national numbers will be made available next summer.