As the pandemic continues, without sign of easing soon, we are faced with another Christmas Bird Count (CBC) season in which it would once again endanger the health of our members to hold our usual and treasured group event. Therefore, the LCAS Board has made the decision that once again, only section leaders will conduct the CBC, either solo or with very small groups within their personal COVID “bubbles.”

However, for those who still wish to participate, several options remain! If you or a friend live within the CBC circle, we invite you to conduct a feeder count. The CBC will take place on Saturday, December 18, 2021. Please contact Coburn Currier, the CBC compiler (clcurrier@hotmail.com), for all the details about data collection so that your observations can be part of the CBC effort.

Do you want to help with the CBC, but not at a feeder? LCAS is informally holding a “big day” on December 18 in conjunction with the CBC. So, we invite you to join us out in the field (but in your own small parties or solo, rather than in our traditional larger groups) in our effort to find as many wintering species in the Helena Valley as possible. Data from this larger informal effort can be submitted to eBird. Since eBird asks for information on party size, duration, and distance traveled for each area birded, it may be possible to incorporate any extra species observed during this less-formal effort into the CBC data as well.

Would you like to coordinate your effort with the section leader of your chosen area? Contact Coburn Currier to get in touch with your local section leader. This is by no means an ideal solution – we all miss the camaraderie of the group CBC and our end-of-day potluck. But while so many people are continuing to sicken from COVID, this is the best we can come up with. Thanks for your understanding – and your participation.