Bird count season is on for nature enthusiasts and bird lovers. Numbers of birders turned their eyes to the blue sky as part of annual Christmas Bird Count organized by the National Audubon Society.

Enthusiast participants are not only enjoying watching birds, but also counting the number of different feathery creatures. Rules of the tradition in Hays, which has been organizing the event since 1944, are simple: Count how many birds of every species are there within a 15-mile diameter circle.

Over 20 watchers gathered in Albertson Hall on the Fort Hays State University campus to make plans on where to watch bird species. Most of them were wearing coveralls and hunting gear. Jim Strine, a former district forester in Hays, said, “It’s not rifle season, but you want to be safe anyway”. Strine said he has been participating in annual Christmas Bird Count from last many years. The collected data on birds will be sent to Audubon, which then will make reports.

Dr. Greg Farley of College of Science, Technology and Mathematics led the count and assigned areas to the volunteers. Farley said every team had four to five volunteers. They were given maps of the area, and location to cover.

Farley said it is important to appreciate the contribution of landowners who allowed volunteers to access their property during the annual Christmas Bird Count. Without their generosity, it was impossible to organize the counting season, Farley added.

The western hemisphere has over two thousand circles, some of which have been in existence since the start of Christmas Bird Count 115 years ago.