By Mike Donahue

Moapa Valley Progress

The Yellow-throated Warbler was identified in last year’s Christmas Birdcount. This was only the fourth yellow-throated warbler documented in Nevada as it is a species that breeds in the southeastern United States and typically winters in southern Florida, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. Photo by Mike Donahue.

Volunteers are being sought throughout Moapa Valley for this year’s annual bird count by the National Audubon Society.

Audubon’s 112th Christmas Bird Count officially started one week ago, Dec. 14, and runs through Jan. 5, 2012, according to the society’s website.

The local count, however, which encompasses a 15 mile circle centered on the upper valley with Warm Springs in Moapa at its north end and Bowman Reservoir at its southern boundary, is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 1, from 7 a.m. to 4 or 5 p.m., said David Syzdek, the Audubon compiler for this area.

Syzdek, who is an environmental biologist for the Southern Nevada Water Authority, said interested people should contact him at 702-714-0003 or by email at dsyzdek@gmail.com to make arrangements to join the local counting group.

“People don’t have to have experience in order to take part in the count,” Syzdek said. “We work in groups and usually have a really good birder in each group.”

“For over one hundred years, the desire to both make a difference and to experience the beauty of nature has driven dedicated people to leave the comfort of a warm house during the Holiday season,” the society said. “Families and students, birders and scientists, armed with binoculars, bird guides and checklists go out on an annual mission”

Syzdek said this is his second year as the count leader for the Muddy River area, which has been counted for 12 prior years.

It is mandatory for participants to contact Syzdek prior to the event so he will have an accurate count of everyone taking part. The cost to participate is $5 that will be donated to Audubon, he said. During the registration call, Syzdek will give directions to the staging area.

“We generally ask people to bring binoculars, warm clothing, and food and water for their lunch,” he said. “After the day is done, we usually meet for a little gathering at a meeting place where we supply a meal.

“The annual count is a good example of citizen science,” Syzdek said. “It’s a way the public can get involved in really wonderful research.”

He said the purpose for the annual count is to understand the bird numbers in given areas and how they change over time.

“Every year we get something unusual,” he said. “Last year we saw a yellow-throated warbler, only the fourth one seen in Nevada. That species usually winters in Southern Florida and Mexico.”

“Each of the citizen scientists who annually braves snow, wind, or rain, to take part in the Christmas Bird Count makes an enormous contribution to conservation,” the national society said. “Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this longest-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations – and to help guide conservation action.”