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Calling all birders: Time for Christmas Bird Count

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED DEC 24, 2019


This Anna's hummingbird was photographed around Clear Lake by Vicki Miller during the 117th Annual Christmas Bird Count. (Photo courtesy audubon.org)

Tally feathered friends during 120th annual winter census

Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge … where? In Sacramento, it's more likely four mallard ducks, three Canadian geese, two American crows and a Steller's jay in an oak tree.

Carolers aren’t the only ones who count birds on Christmas Day.

It’s time for the Christmas Bird Count, an annual census of our feathered friends.

This is the 120th annual Christmas Bird Count, hosted by the Audubon Society. Fudging around the holidays, the Christmas count actually can be completed any time between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5, but each site is wrapped up in one day.

Counting is a group effort, with coordinators assigned to specific areas known to attract a lot of migrating birds. Each compiler is responsible for coordinating the count in a 15-mile circle, staffed by volunteers.

In an all-day effort, the volunteers count every bird they see along an established route in the designated circle.

California hosts 120 Christmas Bird Count locations. Anyone who would like to participate is asked to contact the coordinator directly via email. For a map with links, click here: https://gis.audubon.org/CBCExplorer/

Beginning birdwatchers are welcome. First-timers will be paired with more experienced birders.

Details and more links: https://www.audubon.org/conservation/join-christmas-bird-count#

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gardening Sacramento birds native plants holiday events Audubon Christmas bird count California natives wildlife

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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 3

November still offers good weather for fall planting:

* If you haven't already, it's time to clean up the remains of summer. Pull faded annuals and vegetables. Prune dead or broken branches from trees.

* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.

* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.

* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.

* Plant garlic and onions.

* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.

* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.

* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.

* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.

* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.

* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.

* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.

* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.

* To help prevent leaf curl, apply a copper fungicide spray to peach and nectarine trees after they lose their leaves this month. Leaf curl, which shows up in the spring, is caused by a fungus that winters as spores on the limbs and around the tree in fallen leaves. Sprays are most effective now.

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