Idaho Birders Flock To Christmas Count

Jack Trotter has an eagle eye when it comes to spotting birds.

Toting portable scope, binoculars and lots of dedication, the Twin Falls pediatrician was among 21 volunteers participating in the annual National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count.

Its purpose is to draw a picture of bird populations.

By the end of Saturday, volunteers counted 67 species in a seven-mile radius of the Twin Falls Post Office. That compares with 65 species sighted last year.

The counts will show population trends, often affected by local environment. In 1984, watchers spotted large numbers of barn owls that were wiped out the next year by a hard winter, said Trotter, a bird observer since the 1970s and contributor to the new book “A Birders Guide to Idaho.”

While they may see only 60 species in the cold Twin Falls area, groups in warmer climates like Brownsville, Texas, probably will spot more than 200 species, he said.