Calendar

On Saturday, Dec. 14, SCCF will be hosting the Sanibel-Captiva Christmas Bird Count along with the Sanibel Captiva Audubon Society. This count is a part of the 125th Christmas Bird Count, which will take place between Dec. 14, 2024  and Jan. 5, 2025.

We are looking to recruit new and returning volunteers to participate in the Sanibel-Captiva count. If you are interested in joining us please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/3iMQWnztqmKwvz2F7

You do not need to be an expert birder to help with the count! We need individuals who can help drive, spot birds, record data, and tally numbers.

The home base for the event will be SCCF’s headquarters at 3333 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel, FL. Participants can pick up data sheets and refreshments (coffee, juice, donuts) whenever it is convenient for them, as early as 6:30 a.m. Teams will reconvene at SCCF HQ for tallying data throughout the day.

About the Christmas Bird Count
The Christmas Bird Count takes place annually between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5, with counts held across North America, Central America, and parts of South America. The first count was held in 1900, when some birders opted to count birds instead of shoot them, as was the previous Christmas tradition. The Sanibel-Captiva, which is always held on the first Saturday of the count window, dates back to 1961, though some informal counts were held prior.

If you are interested in participating in the Christmas Bird Count, but can’t make it to Sanibel, click here to find out about counts that are going on near you: https://www.audubon.org/conservation/join-christmas-bird-count 

Questions? Email SanCapCBC@gmail.com.

Nearby counts: 

• Fort Myers, Dec. 16: Contact Charlie Ewell at anhinga42@comcast.net
• Orange River (North Fort Myers), Dec. 28: Contact Meg Rousher at megrousher@icloud.com
• Estero Bay, Dec. 29: Contact Robin Serne at rkserne@gmail.com
• Map of count circles: https://gis.audubon.org/christmasbirdcount/

If you would like to get out with SCCF and San Cap Audubon to brush up on your birding skills, please consider joining us for a bird walk before the big day. 

• Dec. 4 bird walk at Bunche Beach: https://events.humanitix.com/bird-walk-at-bunche-beach-qax2d8d7
• Dec. 10 bird walk at SCCF’s Bailey Homestead: https://events.humanitix.com/bird-walk-at-sccf-shipley-trail