Shade Tree wisdom 12/29/10

My son called me today and asked whether we had taken care of the IRA withdrawal. I had forgotten, so took care of that by phone and are tax friendly for another year. They promised to cut the check today but it will arrive several days hence by mail.

Well, this morning I got my walk in before the rains started. They come intermittently and are promised to last the day long, and we certainly need the moisture.

December means the Christmas Bird Count is now underway. It runs from the 14th to the month end. Such a bird count was organized on Christmas Day back in 1900 when ornithologist Frank Chapman deployed 27 citizens who counted 90 species of birds in 25 North American locales. He started it to try to change a fading fashion of ‘side hunts’ in which shooters choose sides to see who shoot the most birds in a single day.

The side hunt faded out, and the bird count became one of the most successful, and enduring, citizen-science projects in history. It is now an international event. In the western hemisphere some 60,753 volunteers counted 2,319 species of birds in 2000 locales last year.

Each locale is called a count circle and extends some 15 miles in area. Texas usually hosts about 100 counters, and five circles in Texas were among the top 20 for numbers of species tallied. Areas that are more rural usually top the count totals.

Data from these Christmas counts show trends in bird shifts, population declines, migration, etc.

You can take part. I never have because I simply do not know too many species by sight or call. The Houston area hosts many species, among them the cardinal, mourning dove, lesser goldfinch, caolina wren, great horned owl, red-tailed hawk, eastern bluebird snow goose, and the whooping crane.

All God’s creatures, all serve a purpose and fit in.

GPD 12/29/10