Oktibbeha Audubon Society host public birdwatch
The National Audubon Society promotes conservation through volunteer research projects within its national chapters.
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Members of the Oktibbeha Audubon Society gathered this morning at Columbus Lake for their February 2025 Bird Walk.
Jeffrey Harris, an Oktibbeha Audubon Society member described what it was like to get his first pair of binoculars for birdwatching.
“I got my own binoculars and once you do that you’re hooked,” Harris said. ”
Birdwatching, or birding, is a hobby that sparks a deep enthusiasm in the people who do it.
Harris found his passion for birding when he was in college.
The president of the group, Terry Shiefer discovered his love for birds even earlier, when he was only six.
“Somebody gave me a little book with birds, and I was hooked ever since,” Shiefer said.
Shiefer said observing a unique bird in surprising locations is one of the most exciting parts of the hobby.
“Because there’s a great variety,” Shiefer said. “When you go out you never know exactly what you’re going to see. Birds are always on the move. So, things show up in unusual places.”
Harris said he never gets tired of seeing a new bird for the first time.
“I still have that excitement of seeing a bird for the first time,” Harris said. “Sometimes you only get 3 to 5 seconds on
a bird. And you hope that if it’s the first time for a species you get a little more time than that.”
Birding isn’t just about spotting feathered friends.
Harris said it’s also about people coming together around a shared passion.
“You can see people just enjoy getting together, people who share a common interest,” Harris said. “And we’re all bird nerds. And actually, we have some people that are more photographers, and then we have some people that are more birders. But when we get together, we have a common ground to talk about.”
Harris said any birders log their finds on the Cornell University website eBird to be used for research.
“If you follow proper censusing protocols you can actually survey birds as part of your hobby,” Harris said. “And then scientists can use your data.”
A major focus of the National Audubon Society is conservation.
For Shiefer, teaching people about birds is part of the fun.
“Teaching them how to identify them and showing them what’s around in their own backyards,” Shiefer said.
Harris described why he likes being apart of the National Audubon Society.
“So that’s why I like Audubon is it helps teach new birders,” Harris said. “But it also emphasizes things that you can do to help save birds.”
At the February 2025 Bird Walk more than 2,000 individuals making up 43 species of birds were spotted.
