Notes about your surroundings

Christmas Bird Counts--Members of the Sea & Sage chapter of the National Audubon Society will again be participating in the nationwide Christmas Bird Counts this year.

There will be two counts held locally--the northeastern count on Dec. 20 and the coastal count Jan. 3.

Participants will be out tallying species and the number of birds sighted, the results of which will be published in the spring.

The counts will last from dawn until dusk each day.

Each count is divided into area sections. The following are the 13 sections for the northeastern count: Irvine Park; Irvine Lake; Silverado Canyon; Black Star Canyon; mountain areas and upper Black Star Canyon; Modjeska and Harding canyons; O’Neill Regional Park and Plano Trabuco; foothill area near the old Lion Country Safari, south of the San Diego Freeway; Mission Viejo, El Toro and foothills; El Toro Marine Corps Air Station and nearby foothills; Rattlesnake and Siphon reservoirs and nearby foothills; Peters Canyon; and Lemon Heights.

The 12 sections for the coastal count are: Westminster Memorial Park and part of the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station; Huntington Central Park, Wintersburg Channel and Carr Park; Bolsa Chica wetlands; Mile Square Park; Santa Ana River mouth north to Huntington Beach Pier; old areas in Santa Ana; newer areas in Santa Ana; west side of the Back Bay area of Newport Bay and Costa Mesa; east side of the Back Bay area; UC Irvine and San Joaquin Freshwater Marsh; UC Irvine foothills and Corona del Mar; and Newport’s beach and harbor area.

If you live in one of the count’s designated areas, you might be able to participate in the count by being a back-yard birder. For more information about this and other aspects of the count, call the Sea & Sage chapter office at (714) 261-7963.