Texans have access to some of the best birding opportunities in the country, with the state being a wintering stopover for many species. But the occasional winter cold snap can put a damper on any birding excursions.
Such was the case one recent morning in San Marcos as Rebekah Rylander, science coordinator for the Rio Grande Joint Venture, led an intrepid team of five on the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count.
"Last year we had 138 species, which was really, really good, but weather conditions were ideal," Rylander said. "So with the wind and the cold front coming through, I'm sure a lot of the birds are gonna hunker down."
The Christmas Bird Count is a yearly census of the bird population in a given area. It runs from Dec. 14 through Jan. 5.
During the count, groups of bird enthusiasts are organized to cover regions within a "circle" — an area 15 miles in diameter — logging all of the bird species they spot. The circles then pool their collective data to give a snapshot of the bird population in a region.
The count, which occurs nationwide and is open to all, is also the world's longest-running citizen science project at 126 years old.
"So not only is it a good snapshot for the birds and how the birds are doing in a designated area, it's also a really amazing way for community to come together and to kind of celebrate the birds in the area," Rylander said.
Cindy Hobson was among those braving the elements that morning to take part in San Marcos' 10th annual count.
Though she is a certified master naturalist who participated in the inaugural San Marcos Christmas Bird Count, Hobson said she has never been too strong of a birder. However, the welcoming environment to all skill levels made the event a great experience.
"I used to feel kind of self-conscious to come out on the Audubon count because there's so many strong birders and professionals that know birds," Hobson said. "But then I realized pretty soon that there's no hierarchy and you're welcome to come."
A snapshot of human impacts
Like much of Central Texas, San Marcos' population has seen steady growth in recent years — and with that, urbanization. Such trends can have lasting impacts on the surrounding environment, natural habitats and wildlife.
Events like the Christmas Bird Count help scientists measure how that impact is playing out. Rylander says even a relatively young count, like the San Marcos one, can yield useful data.
"And so one of the things that even in the past 10 years that we probably can start to look at is how these urbanization effects [are] perhaps taking a toll on some of these bird populations," Rylander said. "When there's losers, there's also usually winners. And so some of the birds that are more better developed to urbanization, not as scared of people, they probably are experiencing maybe even a population increase."
Rylander says species that were once abundant in the San Marcos area, like the rufous-crowned sparrow, have been sighted less frequently in recent counts.
"These days we're lucky just to get a couple of them," she said. "And so that's a species we're definitely trying to get a pulse on."
The cold front blowing in that morning yielded fewer bird sightings than expected, Rylander said. Such instances are included as a factor in the final data.
Still, while gathering the data remains a primary objective of the Christmas Bird Count, some attend also hoping just to spot a favorite bird — even with a cold front bearing down.
"I was hoping maybe a hermit thrush would pop out or maybe a kind of golden-crowned kinglet," she said. "It's just quiet. That's how it goes."
Want to join a Christmas Bird Count? Central Texans have several opportunities to participate, including in Austin and Georgetown on Dec. 20 and Round Rock on Dec. 27. Check out the full list here.
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