We are very excited to return to our full Christmas Bird Count itinerary! Our December event is to partake in the annual Biddeford Christmas Bird Count (CBC) covering Section 1 with guest leader Nathan Hall. For newer members, this is a particularly special treat because Nathan is one of the founders of MYBC! The map of our section in included below with stars added for the general location of the Hannaford where we will meet for drop off. Section 1 includes OOB, Dune Grass Golf Club, Saco Heath, Goosefare Brook, Guild Park, and many other stops in between.
We are going to do something a little different for this event by having two “start times” and “optional” end times (should a young birder want to attend the compilation see Meet Up and Pickup below).
The CBC is the longest community science project in the history of this country, and we are excited to get to share this experience with the Maine Young Birders Club!
There will be a compilation at 4 pm (ish) at the church in Cape Porpoise. Young birders and parents are encouraged to attend. This is a great way to see how all of the data for the CBC are collected and a fun experience in general.
LOGISTICS: Dress in layers and wear comfortable walking shoes (note it can be SUPER cold so please come prepared). Bring the following: filled water bottle, a bagged lunch and snacks, sunblock, a hat, sunglasses, binoculars, camera (optional), scope (if you have one), notebook & field guide (optional), and a backpack in which you'll keep all your stuff. If you do not have binoculars, MYBC can provide you with a pair.
MEET UP and PICK UP: We will have two meet up/drop off times. We will meet at 7:00 am the Saco Hannaford (Main St, Saco, MAP) near the McDonalds end of the lot for the first leg of the day. We will return to the Hannaford parking lot at 12:00 pm for lunch (there is a McDonalds and Wendy’s adjacent to the parking lot for those who want to purchase lunch). At this time, parents can pick up any young birders who wish to leave early. As mentioned above, if a young birder wishes to continue on to the compilation (and we encourage that) we will be meeting at 4:00 pm at the church in Cape Porpoise (3 Langsford Rd, Kennebunkport, ME 04046, MAP) and that will be the final pickup location. For parents not wishing to attend the compilation, please arrive for pickup by 6:00 pm.
CARPOOLING: If you wish to carpool out of Westbrook with Marion, please note this in your registration. Marion will follow up to confirm the meetup time. for carpooling.
Registration details will be emailed to MYBC members. If you are not a member and wish to join us, please email info@maineyoungbirders.org for more information.
