Article by Ann Blythe originally appared in the News and Observer.

DURHAM — A red-tailed hawk soared high above the small group of birders who had just emerged from the winding trails of Little River Regional Park and Natural Area.

It was a crisp, clear start to the New Year in the northern reaches of Durham and Orange counties. While many holiday revelers were homebound, counting back to which glasses of champagne or Prosecco might have led to the hangovers they were nursing, bird enthusiasts were taking part in a different count.

The National Audubon Society’s 115th Christmas Bird Count has been going on across the country since since Dec. 14. It ends on Jan. 5.

“Citizen scientists,” as the participants are called, go out in rural and urban areas divided into geographic “count circles” – each with a 15-mile diameter.

Armed with binoculars, field guides and checklists, they train their eyes and ears toward tree tops, feeders, river banks and the skies above to help compile data that contributes to an extensive picture of the North American bird population.

The bird count started in 1900, when conservationists, turned off by traditional Christmas bird hunts and declining populations, proposed a census exercise instead.

The survey helps scientists identify which species are imperiled and focus on migration patterns and environmental issues contributing to the changes that have an impact on humans as well. This year, observers have been asked to make special note of any banded Loggerhead shrikes, a critically endangered species found mostly in Canada.

Cardinals and the white-throated sparrow, a striking bird with a black eye stripe and splash of bright yellow between the eyes, were among the most commonly sighted Thursday at Little River Park.

A phoebe, a brown-and-white songbird that catches flies and builds nests out of mud, grass and animal hairs, was noted in a wooded area far from the feeders where the other birds congregated.

Laure Kalau, who brought her 9-year-old son, Andy Kavul, to the park, enjoyed watching birds at the feeders — especially the male cardinals, with their bright red plumage and high-pitched whistly songs they belt out from tree tops or other high perches while defending their territories.

“The male cardinals, they’re the pushy ones,” Kalau said. “It was beautiful to hear them sing.

Michelle Pesavento, a park worker who led the dozen or so counters on a short hike through the woods, sang out her own message as they recounted their experiences.

“There’s a hawk up there, guys,” Pesavento said.

The children ran in closer and all looked toward the blue sky.

“It’s a red-tail,” Pesavento added.

Denise McDuffie, who hiked the trails with her mother, Judy McDuffie, a bird lover, watched as the hawk glided in the air currents, its broad wings outstretched.

“You can see the red on its tail when it turns in the sun,” Denise McDuffie pointed out. “Just to be that free, soaring way up in the sky ... .”

Though the birds of prey have keen eyesight that allows them to see mice on the ground from heights of a mile up, Pesavento told those gathered around her that she thought they might be witnessing a different kind of hunt.

“It’s almost mating season,” Pesavento said.

Courting red-tails soar in wide circles at a great height. The male takes a deep dive at a sharp angle to woo his mark, then shoots back up at nearly as steep an angle.

After several swoops, the male hawk then extends his legs and drops down to briefly touch the female with his talons.

Sometimes, the pair grab onto each other, their talons clasped and spiral toward the ground before pulling away from each other.

On New Year’s Day, though, the hawk flew solo, circling and soaring, marking its territory.

The bird counters marveled at the scene and then continued to talk excitedly about the new territory they had experienced while helping scientists and others compile data for an annual bird census that will be used for many research projects.

“Most of the science is done at universities,” Pesavento said. “It’s expensive. This is a good way to cover a lot of area with ‘citizen scientists.’ ”