[mou] Live From Freeborn County

[SnoEowl at aol.com]

I do it every year—usually more than  once. I get up in the middle of the 
night and trudge into the darkness, enduring  the cold in order to count birds. 
As Galileo said, “The language of nature is  number.” So we count things. 
It’s a fowl job counting birds. The  weather isn’t always good, but it’s 
always good to be out. Boxers are sometimes  down for the count, but birders are 
always up for the count.  
Albert  Lea's CBC was held on December 29 and produced 47 species. Birds seen 
included:  Northern Harrier, Hooded Merganser, Song Sparrow, White-throated 
Sparrow,  Red-winged Blackbirds, lots of Common Grackles, Northern Shrikes, 
robins, and  more cardinals than counted any other year. 
My personal highlight was the same that  it has been on every CBC I've ever 
done--seeing whatever bird I happened to see.  I find great joy in seeing them 
all, from the abundant to the rare. The  opportunity to see and hear birds is 
a gift—given to those who seek and find  glory in nature. Every bird I spotted 
was a rare treat. The  enchanting sight of a spectacularly feathered creature 
adds a welcome facet to  my soul.   
The CBC acts  as a reminder. I need reminders. We all do. We need to be 
reminded of the  blessings we are given. The Christmas Bird Count is one of the 
finer things in  life. 
The  birds charmed me out of my tree. 
Al Batt 
Hartland,  MN



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