The swans are back and it’s time to think Christmas Bird Count. San Juan Islands Audubon Society is holding their count on Saturday, Jan. 4.

In 1900 ornithologist Frank Chapman along with other conservationist were disturbed at the slaughter of birds in the annual holiday event called the “side hunt.” The team that shot the most birds and other small animals was the winner. As a protest, Chapman organized 27 friends in 25 locations on Christmas Day, 1900 to count live animals instead of shooting them.

The CBC became an annual event and chapters across North America started their own count. Each Audubon chapter chooses a 24-hour time period from the middle of December to early January for their count. The area covered is a 15-mile diameter wide circle of about 177 square miles. Every bird seen or heard is counted. There is also a three-day period on each end of the count day to record additional birds.

The count area is most of Lopez, all of Shaw, about a third of Orcas and most of San Juan Island. Hundreds of people participate by either walking, driving, or going by boat. Some routes are established and some people just monitor their own backyard.

Results from the counts can be found: http://netapp.audubon.org/cbcobservation/. For more info and to join, call Barbara Jensen at 378-3068.