Submitted photos

Nine local families participated in the second annual Christmas Bird Count for Kids on Saturday, Dec. 19.

Saturday, Dec. 19, 33 participants from nine local families turned out for Harney County’s second annual Christmas Bird Count for Kids (CBC4Kids).

It was a cold but sunny day with perfect bluebird skies, though no bluebirds made a showing for the count. Our eight teams counted birds along designated routes in Burns and Hines, stopping at predetermined CBC4Kids checkpoints.

During the 1.5 hour count, our intrepid families counted 26 species, including 722 California Quail. That’s two more species and 362 more quail than last year!

While the format of the count was very different from last year to accommodate for COVID-19 safety, families were still able to enjoy the morning and a lunch certificate for Figaro’s pizza. This year’s CBC4Kids awards are as follows:

Best Team Name: Hal Fred’s hitch caught the birds

Best Family Photo: Quiet Quail

Most Species Counted: Jabberjays

Most Quail Counted: Bird Nerds

Thank you to everyone who agreed to host a CBC4Kids checkpoint. This includes numerous local backyard birders who kept their feeders filled the day of the count, the schools and Education Service District, the cities of Burns and Hines, and the following businesses: Geno’s Youth Center and Kid’s Club, Steens Mountain Brewing Co., Harney County Veterinary Clinic, Hines Mill House, and The Aspens Living Center.

Lastly, a big thank you to the community organizations that made the CBC4Kids possible: Portland Audubon’s Eastern Oregon Program, Friends of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Harney County Library, and Burns District Bureau of Land Management; and to the Leupold and Stevens Foundation for donating binoculars and a scope to support birding and nature exploration by Harney County youth and families, and Bird Collective for a generous discount on bird patches for this and other programs.

Are you interested in more programming like the CBC4Kids? Bird Scouts is a year-long program designed to connect local youth and families to birds, science, and nature. Youth who participate can earn patches for completing specific art, science, and other projects/activities. Portland Audubon’s Eastern Oregon Field Coordinator will also be offering bird walks for local individuals and families the third Saturday of every month in 2021. For more information, contact Teresa Wicks at twicks@audubonportland.org. You can also find updates about local events on the Restore Malheur Facebook Page.