Ode to the Count

By Sarah Linney

Getting up before the crack of dawn;
Surely my sanity is gone!
But here we all are put into teams
Ready to disembark it seems!
Looking to find the birds all to count
Hoping we find decent amounts.
The hearty of us have been owling,
Some later through marshes prowling.
Cardinals, buntings and crows—Oh my!
Hawks and falcons in the sky.
Herons and egrets all a-wading,
We look till light is a-fading.
Gathering together past sundown,
We’ve surely covered all the ground.
Tired and hungry, we hope for good eats;
Volunteers have prepared a feast!
Full and warm, off the tally we sound;
Hooray for each species we’ve found!
To Judy and Nedra, Dan and Dick,
Thanks for making the bird counts click!