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Meal Ticket

Bird Feed

By Marlow de Ville

Break out those binoculars and your sense of adventure, and join the members of the Santa Cruz Bird Club for the 39th annual Christmas Bird Count. Just like it sounds, the occasion--which takes place at 1,700 locations all over the country this time of year--is designed to keep track of the size and diversity of bird populations.

The day-long census brings together bird lovers and nature buffs, who'll wind up the day with a big sundown potluck dinner at the Eagle Lodge (how appropriate), 306 Mission St. in Santa Cruz.

"We usually get about 70 people involved," says SC Bird Club president David Suddjian. "At the end of the day, we get together over the potluck and count down the species we've found--that's a lot of the fun."

There's a $5 fee to participate--"required by the sponsoring Audubon Society in order to help publish the results," Suddjian explains.

If you're interested in joining the bird counters, call Suddjian at 479-9603 and he'll plug you into the census where you're most needed.

Contact Irene Howard at 476-7770 to find out what sort of potluck dish to bring to the wrap-up meal. You can join in the potluck, even if you haven't got time to spare at the bird count.

You don't have to be an expert and you don't have to be able to tell the difference between a towhee and a mockingbird--the towhee, incidentally, is the brown one--to join the Christmas Bird Count.

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