Birders turn out for Audubon Society event on New Year's Eve

More than 38 citizen scientists filled Whit Hall at Genoa’s River Fork Ranch Preserve around dawn on a frosty New Year’s Eve morning to check in before fanning out across Carson Valley for the Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count.

Organizer Jim Woods, who has been working the Bird Count for around a quarter of a century, was impressed by Sunday’s turnout.

“This is unexpected for this many people to show up,” he said.

Teams fanned out across the 15-mile circle activated around 1998 to count and categorize birds. Each team picked up a packet with a map and a form to record their findings in each of 10 sectors, and some helpful advice navigating the Valley’s fields.

“Dogs are employees, not pets,” warned one bird count veteran.

“Birding has taken a big jump in popularity,” Woods said. “Now that there’s this constant move toward conservation and preservation, the national Audubon Society is a big driver of that. And a big driver for them is that their research base is the common people, citizen scientists. That’s what we’re doing today.”

Organizer Ben Sonnenberg credited Woods with the big turnout.

“We’ve had a few teams leave, already,” he said. “It’s really great. Jim likes to get as much community involvement as he can, which is really, really fun.”

First-timer Jamie Warden met up with his wife’s family from the Bay Area for the holidays.

Coming from Pittsburgh, Pa., he and wife Joanna might be among the furthest participants on Sunday.

“I started doing this from the photography aspect,” he said. “I have a business partner who is an avid birder, and he got me more and more into it.”

But it was Joanna’s uncles, Ray Woodbeck and Nat Weber, who brought the couple out on Sunday.

“We come out here (to visit) every year, and they’ve taught me a lot over the last year,” the father of three young girls said. “I don’t get many opportunities. Carving out big chunks of time is not always in the cards.”

Last year’s bird count was canceled due to a record winter storm that dumped feet of snow in Carson Valley over the New Year’s weekend. First begun on Christmas Day 1900, birdwatchers go out during the second half of December to list all the birds they see.