Before the sun is a glimmer in the sky, Danny and I are up and about, preparing to meet our birding posse for the 121st Audubon Christmas Count, the enumeration of birds in December throughout the states, Canada and now, also, in Mexico as well as Central and South America.
The count circles are divided into territories for different groups to scan the skies, search bare branches and peer under bushes to find whatever winter residents and straggling migrants are flying and flitting about.
The warmish fall has turned into a winter wonderland, what with a foot and a half of snow and frigid temperatures. The constant threat of COVID has put a damper on this festive birding occasion. But we stalwart birders sally forth, though there will be no sharing of optics or food, as we practice social distancing and masking and travel about in our own cars.