RECREATION | Christmas Bird Counts 

The sweetness of birdsong is something that we perhaps take for granted in our daily hustle. For me, it has mostly become white noise unless I catch a few spare, slow moments for a walk. Many birds have already migrated toward warmer climates, but there are plenty of tough guys who'll stick out the winter with us. Learn more about our area's winter wildlife and help assess their numbers with one of the upcoming Christmas bird counts.

The 38th annual Letchworth Silver Lake Christmas Bird Count will take place all day on Saturday, December 15, at Letchworth State Park in Castile. If you're interested in participating, call Douglass Bassett at 493-3625 before the day of the event for a territory assignment.

On Sunday, December 16, the 109th Rochester Christmas Bird Count will take place all day in a 16-mile radius centered at Dewey Avenue and Stone Road in Greece. Visit birding.aba.org and select Rochester to find a list of numbers of area leaders to call for more information. Inexperienced observers will be teamed up with the more experienced. A 7:30-9 p.m. tally will take place after a 6 p.m. dinner (bring money) held at the Charbroil Restaurant at the corner of Island Cottage Road and Edgemere Drive.

Even if you can't get out to count birds in the field, consider watching your feeder for some time during the day, and then phoning in your count, as all data is helpful.