New book highlights the particular joys of birdwatching in the Bay Area

"It's time for the Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count, held each year from Dec. 14 through Jan. 5. The citizen science tradition dates back to 1900, when an early officer of the society, ornithologist Frank M. Chapman, proposed a bird census rather than a hunt over the Christmas holiday. Today, tens of thousands of participants across the Americas participate in one of the longest-running wildlife censuses, which is designed to assess bird populations."

"The Bay Area is a special spot for birdwatching - just ask photographer Dick Evans and wilderness guide and author Hannah Hindley, whose gorgeous new photo book, " In the Shadow of the Bridge: Birds of the Bay Area " (Heyday Books, $50) showcases the breadth and variety of bird species that can be found throughout Bay, especially on public land. More than half of all the bird species in the U.S. can be found in the region, according to Hindley."

"That's partly because the Bay Area is a waypoint along the Pacific Flyway: "a 4,000-mile avian superhighway that stretches from Alaska in the north to Patagonia in the south," she writes. Because of the region's geography, birds of many types are funneled toward the Bay during their migrations. Some make it their winter home, while others continue southward. "I didn't realize it was anywhere near as important a crossroads for the migration routes and the local birds," Evans says."

The Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count runs annually from Dec. 14 through Jan. 5 and mobilizes tens of thousands across the Americas to assess bird populations. The tradition began in 1900 when Frank M. Chapman proposed a bird census instead of a holiday hunt. The Bay Area hosts more than half of U.S. bird species and functions as a major waypoint on the Pacific Flyway, funneling many migrants through the region. Photographer Dick Evans and wilderness guide Hannah Hindley produced a photo book, In the Shadow of the Bridge: Birds of the Bay Area (Heyday Books, $50), highlighting species found on public lands. The project partnered with Point Blue Conservation Science, and book proceeds will benefit the nonprofit. Field highlights included trips to the Farallon Islands and the Palomarin field station to observe migratory bird research.

Read at The Mercury News