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Christmas Bird Count: More than 10,000 tallied

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Ken Kopperl scans his designated area along Wildlife Drive at “Ding” Darling during the Christmas Bird Count. MEGHAN MCCOY
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MEGHAN MCCOY
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MEGHAN MCCOY
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MEGHAN MCCOY
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MEGHAN MCCOY

An enthusiasm flowed from the parking lot surrounding the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge Education Center as volunteers gathered with binoculars, pencils and clipboards ready to count the birds during the annual Christmas Bird Count.

The Sanibel-Captiva Audubon Society spearheaded the annual Christmas Bird Count on the islands Saturday, Dec. 17, which is part of the National Audubon Society’s, now, 117th National Christmas Bird Count. The numbers collected during the count are then compiled into the longest running database in ornithology.

In 1900, Ornithologist Frank Chapman, an officer of the Audubon Society, proposed a new holiday tradition, a “Christmas Bird Census,” due to many participating in the Christmas “Side Hunt.”

On that day in 1900, 27 dedicated birders helped in holding 25 Christmas Bird Counts. Ninety species were counted from Toronto, Ontario to Pacific Grove, California.

This year 136 participants counted a total of 10,935 birds comprised of 99 different species all over Sanibel, Captiva and the Causeway Islands. Two rare birds – a brant and an elegant tern were spotted Saturday. Bill Jacobson, with the San-Cap Audubon, said the brant is a goose whose normal range is well north of Sanibel that usually stops at the mid-Atlantic coast. The elegant tern, he said is a west coast tern somewhat similar to the royal tern.

Those results will be submitted to the National Audubon Society and will be added to the 117th Audubon Christmas Bird Count. Those numbers help with historical information on the status and distribution of early winter bird populations.

“Look at this,” Ken Kopperl said pointing to the ten species of birds wading in the water off Wildlife Drive. “What more can someone want?”

The excitement he had bubbled over as the amazement of the number of species took hold casting a smile across his face as he shared the knowledge he knew with others.

As a reddish egret did its dance, Ken began sharing that six of the eight found at the refuge have small backpacks on with a GPS, part of a study taking place at the refuge. He said it has been recorded that the reddish egrets travel to the Pine Island Sound and back again.

His wife, Ginny, shared the same excitement, especially since so many people come together, across the nation, to do a bird count.

“It speaks to me about the passion people have about conservation,” she said. “I am in awe of the real birders. I learn so much.”

The couple reside on the refuge as education specialist working with the children and educating them about everything there is to see at the refuge.

“I keep waiting to wake up from a dream,” Ken said about living in an RV on the refuge.

Ken said since they teach the children about birding, it only made sense to participate in the annual Christmas Bird Count.

“The more we are out here, the more of a knowledge bank we have,” he said.

The couple are retired teachers from New Jersey who are passionate about teaching the youngsters.

Before the couple started coming to Sanibel, Ginny said they dabbled into species of birds. That changed, once they began volunteering at “Ding” Darling.

“We have to be more accurate. We want the kids to get accurate information,” she said. “If I don’t know, I don’t make it up.”

With retirement, an individual has many avenues they can pursue. For the Kopperl’s it was a no brainer when they fell into the job.

“We need the young people to find the passion, get off the phone and look at nature,” Ginny said.

Ken said they do many hands-on activities with the youngsters because they are always searching for that “hook” that will bring the kids back to the refuge, outdoors.

“Sharing information is what we do best,” he said. “It’s very fulfilling.”

Linda Ackerman, a winter Sanibel resident, also volunteered her time during the Christmas Bird Count.

“This has been a hobby of ours for over 30 years,” she said of birding with her husband.

The hobby began when they took a vacation to Hilton Head and bought a birding book. Ackerman said they began by finding the bigger birds, which led them to meeting avid birders.

“We started making birding apart of everything we do,” she said.

Saturday as the couple looked through binoculars finding, and counting, the various species that made landfall off of Wildlife Drive, they had a scope set up. Ackerman said they always have their scope set up providing individuals with the opportunity to view a bird. She said the simple gesture gives individuals a chance to see a particular bird and learn about them, if they so desire.

“We see if they have an interest and invite them to take a look,” Ackerman said.

She said the great thing about birding is they have made a lot of friends with others who share the same interest.

Ackerman said she has been visiting Sanibel for a very long time.

“My grandfather brought me over on the mailboat,” she said before the causeway was built. “My grandfather retired to Pine Island in the 1950s.”

Last year’s Christmas Bird Count attracted 129 individuals who counted 14,494 birds island wide, making up 88 different species.