Susan Barr
Kern Valley Sun

For any of you who have ever wanted to get into the sport of bird watching, now may just be the perfect time. With a multitude of different species currently wintering on the Kern River Preserve in Weldon, you’ll have the perfect excuse to try out those fancy Christmas presents you’ve recently received. High powered binoculars, digital cameras with zoom lenses and cell phones with photo capability all come in very handy when it comes to viewing the many feathered residents who call the preserve home.

During the last couple of weeks, those same residents have been the object of a great deal of attention. Nature lovers from far and wide, some from as far away as Santa Monica and Bishop, have traveled to various locations around the county to document the various bird species wintering here. These individuals have been playing an integral part in the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count (CBC), an annual nationwide event. Some 55,000 volunteers of all skill levels take part in the annual census of birds, regardless of weather conditions. The CBC season, which began on Dec. 14 and ran through Jan. 5, had three different counts which covered territory on disjunct parts of the local preserve; the Kern River Preserve, the Kelso Creek Sanctuary, and the Allen South Fork Sanctuary.

(Use arrows above to view more photos)

The first CBC event was held on Christmas Day in 1900, when scientist and writer Frank Chapman led 27 conservationists in 25 localities in the eastern United States on an alternative to the “side hunt,” a Christmas day activity in which teams competed to see who could shoot the most birds and small mammals. Instead, Chapman proposed to identify, count, and record all the birds they saw, founding what is now considered to be the world’s most significant citizen-based conservation effort – and what has become a more than century-old institution. Last year, of the 2,013 counts held in North America, 119 CBC’s were held in California, with 10 being conducted in Kern County alone.

Alison Sheehey, the Kern River Preserve Outreach Director, coordinated the 31st Annual Kern River Valley Christmas Bird Count which was held on Sunday, January 4, 2009. From her own counting area off of Fay Ranch Road during the South Fork Christmas Count on Saturday, Sheehey spoke about her love for the wildlife of the preserve. As for the CBC, she added, “This event is great because it allows people from all walks of life to get out here and enjoy the bio-diversity of the area in a non-consumptive manner. It even allows for a little healthy competition amongst the birders as they see who can identify the greatest numbers of species.”

From her spot in a field near an abandoned building, Sheehey watched and listened, keeping a tally of the 20 species she had already sighted by 8:00 am on the chilly morning. Under her soft-spoken guidance, it quickly became apparent that what had at first seemed to be a dormant, lifeless field was actually a hive of activity. Even with an untrained ear, it was possible to pick out the distinct sounds of the various species by simply taking the time to listen. Sheehey was not always a birder, but she became hooked after spotting what she thought was a “really, really, big black bird” almost 25 years ago. It turned out to be a Condor. That sighting ultimately changed the course of her life. Soon after, she became a volunteer at the preserve and last year was appointed Outreach Director. 

Although the National Audubon Christmas Bird Counts are done for this year, opportunities to enjoy the wonders of our feathered friends here in the valley still abound. Why not pick up a guide book at the library, put on a few extra layers and head out to the preserve. It will give you a chance to try out the new gizmo’s, get some much needed post-holiday exercise and allow you to practice some “citizen science” of your own. For more information about future CBC’s or any other preserve event, contact Sheehey at (760) 378-2029. The Kern River Preserve is located at 18747 Hwy. 178 (the entrance is between Paul’s Place and Kelso Valley Road) in Weldon, CA.