COUNTYWIDE : Bird Watchers to Take Annual Count

At dawn Sunday, bird enthusiasts will fan out across Ventura County from Point Mugu to Westlake to conduct the 92nd annual Christmas bird count for the National Audubon Society.

The census, to be conducted by about 40 members of the Conejo Valley Audubon Society, will cover roughly a 177-square-mile portion of the southeastern county, Audubon Society officials said.

On Jan. 1, the Ventura Audubon Society will conduct a separate count for the western and northern areas of Ventura County.

The one-day counts are part of an international effort by the Audubon Society that will survey 1,600 areas, including every Canadian province and American state, as well as other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, officials said.

Last year, more than 42,000 people nationwide participated in the bird count.

The annual census provides scientists with information on the early winter distribution pattern of various winter resident birds, with the results published each year by the Audubon Society, said Conejo Valley chapter President Bill Supri of Camarillo.

But the Christmas bird count is also one of the year’s social highlights for the bird-watching community, and is a competitive event among chapters.

The Conejo Valley Audubon Society usually finishes among the top 30 clubs in the number of species sightings, Supri said.

Last year, the chapter found 166 species of birds within its search area, with 122 species sighted in the wetlands at Point Mugu Naval Air Station alone. The results placed the Conejo Valley chapter in 22nd place among all the groups, Supri said.

Volunteers can call the Conejo chapter at 482-1990 or the Ventura chapter at 642-3480 for information on how to participate. Audubon membership is not required.

Novices as well as experts are welcome to participate, Supri said. “The more eyes you have, the more you see,” he said.