By Anne W. Semmes
Another participant of the Greenwich-Stamford Christmas Bird Count was Greenwich Audubon Center Senior Coordinator of Education Ryan MacLean, serving now 11 years as “captain” of his Area A that includes private properties with landowners kindly allowing CBC surveying each year. MacLean had his first CBC spotting experience age 13 accompanying now retired and long serving Greenwich Audubon educator Ted Gilman, who had captained Area E that includes the Greenwich Audubon Center.
MacLean recalled meeting up with Gilman at 4 a.m. for some owling on that first CBC on December 14, 2003, and seeing his first Eastern Screech owl in the wild. This year, “on a very cold day,” MacLean was joined at the CBC at 3:30 a.m. again in search of owls with two high school birders: Cristina Buccieri, who has followed her birding passion at the Audubon Center, accompanied by her father Silvio Buccieri, and her friend Arabella Pajoohi with father Ash Pajoohi. (Arabella’s birding activity includes serving as president of the New York State Young Birders Club, and founder and president of its Younger Birders Club!)
Arabella shared her beginning participating in the CBC at age 5. Now 13, she’s also participated in four other counts in Putnam, N.Y. as a territory Captain. Since participating in the counts, she’s noticed changes in bird populations. “There are more Black Vultures or Carolina Wrens, for instance, while other species’ numbers have declined.” She’s found it rewarding, “to know that the data I’m collecting can be used to help scientists in turn to help birds.”
Arabella is grateful too for Ryan MacLean having taught her “so much each year,” and for the opportunity to be a part of the Christmas Bird Count. “Knowing (especially on the days when it is more challenging to birds: blustery, freezing, rainy, etc.!) that I am helping birds.” She hopes to become a conservation biologist.” And “I feel like I’m doing my part right now to make a difference.”
Similar in feeling is Cristina Buccieri. “These bird counts can help us notice when a bird’s population is decreasing year by year, and we can then work towards finding the cause and forming a solution. Using these numbers, scientists can monitor bird populations, their migration, and can analyze how climate change affects their species.”
Cristina, now a sophomore in high school, began birding at age 7 or 8 she recalled, and joined the CBC a couple of years ago. Her favorite part of it? “I get to participate in Community Science. I know that I am making a difference and helping towards preserving these bird species. The best part is anyone can do it! It is an incredible opportunity to contribute to a major effort to protect our birds, and the environment.
