At the turn of the 20th century, it was a big deal to go out on Christmas Day and look for birds. At the time, though, the “looking”  involved bringing a shotgun.
Frank Chapman was a fan of the custom, though not necessarily the gun part. So on Christmas Day 1899 he got the idea to go out and identify and count the birds, not shoot them. The idea caught on and 114 years later tens of thousands of folks throughout the Western Hemisphere take to the outdoors to look for birds as part of the annual Christmas Bird Count. The exercise helps scientists keeps tabs on the bird population and identify potentially harmful developments in the bird world.
Here’s how it works: Each count is assigned an area 15 miles in diameter. Volunteers spend the day canvassing the area counting as many different birds as they can find. The results are then shipped to the National Audubon for analysis. You needn’t be an accomplished birder to participate; In fact, one of the great things about the count is that it often gives amateurs an opportunity to hang with and learn from accomplished birders. Not to mention the chance to lurk about the woods all day in search of nature.
The count occurs over a three-week period, this year ending Jan. 5. From the Carolina Bird Club website we’ve culled the counts remaining in North Carolina.  For the full list of counts in North Carolina (and South), visit their site.
For more about the count, visit the Audubon CBC site here.

Friday

• Camp Lejeune, John DeLuca , john.j.deluca@usmc.mil
• Grandfather Mountain, Jesse Pope, highcountrybirder@yahoo.com, 828.733.3224
• Rocky Mount, Brian Bockhahn, birdranger248@gmail.com, 919.676.1027

Saturday

• Charlotte, Ken Kneidel, kenkneidel@gmail.com, 704.365.5609
• York-Rock Hill, SC, Bill Hilton, Jr., research@hiltonpond.org, 803.684.5852, website

Sunday

• Chapel Hill, Will Cook, cwcook@duke.edu, 919.477.9395
• Southern Pines, susan@ncaves.com, Susan Campbell

Monday

• Rockingham County, Brian Bockhahn, birdranger248@gmail.com

Thursday, Dec. 26

• Catawba Valley, Dwayne Martin, redxbill@gmail.com, 828.234.6041

Friday, Dec. 27

• Cape Hatteras, Patricia Moore, topatneal@aol.com, 252.995.4777

Saturday, Dec. 28

• Bodie-Pea Island, Paul Sykes, jjsykes@charter.net, 706.769.9436
• Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge, birdwalker@mac.com, Judy Walker

Sunday, Dec. 29

• Henderson County, Wayne Forsythe, wforsythe@morrisbb.net, 828.697.6628
• Lake Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge,  Susan Campbell, susan@ncaves.com, badgerboy@wilkes.net, 910.949.3207
• Stone Mountain, Guy McGrane, 336.973.8343

Monday, Dec. 30

• Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, binsandlens@yahoo.com, Jeff Lewis, 252.216.6336
• Pettigrew State Park, Doug Lequire, doug.lequire@ncdenr.gov, 252.797.4475
• Portsmouth Island, Peter Vankevich, petevankevich@gmail.com, 252.928.2539

Tuesday, Dec. 31

• Ocracoke Island, Peter Vankevich, petevankevich@gmail.com, 252.928.2539

Thursday, Jan. 2

• Kerr Lake, Brian Bockhahn, birdranger248@gmail.com, 919.676.1027

Friday, Jan. 3

• Falls Lake, Brian Bockhahn, birdranger248@gmail.com, 919.676.1027

Saturday, Jan. 4

• Balsam, Bob Olthoff, olthoff@bellsouth.net, 828.627.2546
• Franklin, Robert Gilbert, wyah@mindspring.com
• Roanoke Rapids, Fred Lobdell, fplobdell@embarqmail.com, 252.257.2487
• Upper Yadkin River Valley, Bridgett Griffin, bridgett.griffin@ymcacharlotte.org
• Wilmington, Sam Cooper, dmcooper2@juno.com, 910.799.3825
• Winston-Salem, Ron Morris, ronmorris@triad.rr.com, 336.725.1254

Sunday, Jan. 5

• Greenville, Howard Vainright, asnakeman@hotmail.com, Dr. Veronica Pantelidis, 252.413.8292, 252.758.7828
• Iredell County, Ron Underwood, rongto@gmail.com
• Jordan Lake, Carol Chelette, cncbrdr@yahoo.com, Norman Budnitz, 919.797.1222, website
• Mount Jefferson, Eric Harrold, gentilis03@yahoo.com
• Southport-Bald Head-Oak Islands, Ron Clark, waxwing@bellsouth.net, 704.860.4469