The new year dawned on more than 150 intrepid birders who eschewed the traditional comforts of the day — brunch, Bowl games, visits with neighbors and family — to participate in the annual year-end Bird Count.
Volunteers ranging from novice to pro worked in over 34 groups, each headed by an experienced birder, scouring the Sonoma Valley “circle,” a 15–mile diameter area that stretches from the Tolay Creek wetlands to Kenwood, from the Petaluma River to the top of Mt. Veeder.
The group counted anything and everything that flies, hung in there despite morning fog and afternoon drizzle, and came up with an unofficial count of 168 different species.
In the evening everyone gathered at the Sonoma community Center to tally results and celebrate with hearty meal. .
