Cocoa Christmas Bird Count Needs Volunteers

By Nedra Sekera

The Cocoa Chrismas Bird Count will be held this year on Saturday, December 17. As usual, meet at the Steak N Shake at the intersection of SR-520 and Sykes Creek Parkway on Merritt Island at no later than 5:30 a.m. They are open 24 hours so you may come earlier if you wish to have breakfast. Participants will go into the field at 6:00 a.m.

At the end of the day there will be a pot luck supper for all counters and helpers. See the Limpkin for details.

All levels of expertise are welcome as well as feeder watchers and “sitters’ in the count area. Although we always welcome beginning birders and consider it a good way to get experience for future counts, you probably won’t be getting much one-on-one help with bird identification. Please come and help spot birds, learn how to count large flocks, help tally, and take part in the excitement of covering an area in only12 or so hours.

Roughly, the count circle’s northern arc is at Camp Road in Sharpes, east to the Port, south from there at about 14th Street in Cocoa Beach, across the river to the south point of Horti Point, west to Hacienda Drive on S. Tropical Trail, west to a small portion of the Duda Ranch, and northwest to Lake Pointsett.

If you wish to participate or have any questions please contact either Dave Freeland (freela148@aol.com) or Dee Fairbanks Simpson (deefairbanks@Yahoo.com).

There is always a great need for food for the count supper. If you can’t count, please cook!

In addition to the Cocoa Count, the following counts also need volunteers:

Merritt Island NWR -- Monday, December 19: Contact Ned Steele (452-1140, nedsteel@msn.com) or Jim Pederson (267-4981)

South Brevard -- Sunday, January 1, 2006: Contact Roy Book (321-773-4618, bookroy@cs.com) or Jack Taylor (772-562-5247, lapwing321@aol.com)