<I>The Eagle/David Heldreth</I><BR>A White-crested sparrow eats at a bird feeder outside the U.S. Forest Service building Saturday, Dec. 20. A large group of sparrows were sighted near the building.

GRANT COUNTY – Cold weather didn’t keep the birds or birders inside Saturday, Dec. 20.

The Grant County Bird Club participated in the 109th annual Christmas Bird Count. The count was organized in 1900 by the National Audubon Society, an ornithological environmental group, as an alternative to bird hunts that were held to see who could kill the most birds. It now includes groups from across North America including Canada and Mexico.

The 2008-09 count runs from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5, but each group only counts on a single day.

The Grant County 2008-09 count drew 16 bird counters, the same number as last year. However, this year’s count was held a few days later and Grant County club member Frazier Nichol said it was colder and there was more snow this year. It was about 20 degrees and snowing throughout the day.

Nichol said he had expected fewer people due to the weather.

“It looked like we were going to have a smaller group this year, but more people showed up in the morning,” Nichol said.

The Grant County Bird Club observed 72 species this year. The group spotted everything from bald eagles to Eurasian wigeons. The club averages 63 species a year. The club saw 78 species last year, which tied the record from 2000 for the most sightings in a Christmas Bird Count.

Nichol said the Eurasian wigeon, varied thrush and green-winged teal were three of the most interesting birds the club observed during the count.

Following the count the club gathered at the home of Cecil and Irene Gagnon to compile the information from the day. The records are then sent to the Audubon Society. The society issues yearly reports using the information it receives from the count.

According to the society, the data collected by observers over the past century allows researchers, conservation biologists, and other interested individuals to study the long-term health and status of bird populations across North America.