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The arrival of winter is exciting for snow sports enthusiasts, but it's also good news for another group: bird watchers.
December 1st is the official date when New Hampshire Fish and Game declares that it is ok to install bird feeders because the bears, who love to raid on the feeders for high fat seeds and in oil, are likely to be installed for a long winter nap, especially given the cold breath we are experiencing.
This means that it is also the time of year to see if avian surprises are to be expected.
"A species we have not seen for a long time is the evening grosbeak and we are starting to see it. The males are gorgeous, yellow and black with white, "said Becky Suomala, wildlife biologist for New Hampshire Audubon. "In the 70s and 80s, large herds arrived at the feeders, but their numbers declined.
"I get people reporting them saying," I have not had them for years, "said Suomala.
The reason for this return has nothing to do with us. "I think this is due to the outbreak of spruce budworm in Quebec," said Suomala. The Grosbeaks were attracted in the east by the delicious gray worms, their favorite food.
Ornithologists have long been monitoring the surprises and trends of the country's bird population. This capacity is becoming increasingly important as climate change fueled by anthropogenic activities changes weather conditions in the short and long term. Keeping an eye on the movement of birds is a way to understand and cope with these changes.
Hundreds of New Hampshire bird watchers are likely to participate in the Christmas Bird Count, a national citizen science project conducted for 118 years.
This program counts birds in a number of selected areas during the month of December, providing long-term records for scientists.
There are 21 Christmas bird counting sites in New Hampshire, one in Concord being one of the oldest. It is scheduled for December 15th. To participate or learn more about Concord's count, contact Robert Quinn at [email protected].
Other censuses in central New Hampshire include one around Laconia at the end of December and another around Sunapee Lake on December 15. Detailed information is available on the New Hampshire Audubon website, nhaudubon.org.
A similar program takes place in February with the counting of birds in the back yard. It covers the entire state, not just selected areas, and involves people who count the number and species of birds that reach their feeders.
This year, they will likely include siskin and the common redpoll.
"They are visitors from the north. Some years, we have none and others, we have many, it's difficult to predict, "said Suomala.
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