ATHOL – Between releasing its annual “Birds and Nature of the North Quabbin 2025” calendar and preparing for the yearly bird count, the Athol Bird & Nature Club has had a busy December.

The cover of the calendar features a striking image of a barred owl photographed by local author and photographer Dale Monette. The pictures included on the pages of the calendar include a “pretty broad mix of wildlife,” said ABNC President David Small.

A release from the ABNC stated, “each month features extensive nature notes that provide very specific information such as when certain birds are migrating into or out of the area, when native wildflowers are blooming, when the peak of several meteor showers occur, and even when to listen for coyotes howling.”

“Cindy and Chuck Hartwell were the first ones to put it together, and it’s made up of photographs taken within the nine-town North Quabbin community by members and friends of the bird club,” said Small. “The pictures were all donated by different people. We had a couple of hundred photographs that were entered into the mix. Ernie LeBlanc, the current ‘master of the calendar’ tried to utilize as many different contributors as he could and as much different subject matter as he could.”

The calendar, printed by Highland Press of Athol, may be purchased at the following locations: Trail Head Outfitter & General Store, Quabbin Harvest, and Mount Tully Kennels in Orange; Flowerland @ Tintagels Gate, Else Where, Déjà Vu Women’s Consignment, Cornerstone Insurance, MacMannis Florist, and the North Quabbin Chamber of Commerce in Athol; the New Salem General Store in New Salem; the Red Apple Farm in Phillipston; the Petersham Craft Center and The Country Store in Petersham; the Hardwick Farmers Co-op in Gilbertville; the Kitchen Garden in Templeton; the Wendell Country Store in Wendell; Connecticut River Liquors in Turners Falls, Deerfield River Liquors in Deerfield; and Ruggeri’s Beverage & Redemption Center in Greenfield.

Selling calendars, however, is not all the ABNC is up to during December. The club is encouraging feeder and backyard bird watchers to take part in the All Day Christmas Bird Count scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 14. Small said volunteers will be asked to count the various species of birds present within a 7.5-mile radius of the former Athol Junior High School, now the School Street Residences, at 494 School St.

Small added that the local bird count is part of the National Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count, which is held across the world between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5.

“We’ll probably have about 35 people in the field that day,” he continued. “We’ve been doing this since around 1967.”

Small said there have definitely been noticeable changes in the number of species over the years.

“One of the big things that’s changed is the gulls. Back when we had a landfill that was open and we were burying trash every day, we’d get 600 or 700 gulls up at the old town dump,” he said. “We’d get several unusual species, like the lesser black-back gull or a great black-backed gull, herring gulls, ring-billed gulls, Iceland gulls, and glaucous gulls; they were all seen when the landfill was open. Bluebirds are a species we see more of. When we first started doing it, bluebirds were fairly uncommon and now they’re doing extremely well. Carolina wrens were absent in the early days, as was red-bellied woodpeckers – another one that has shown up over that time period.”

The count will be held rain, snow or shine, according to Small. Participants are asked to send reports including the street address, species found and the number of individual birds observed via text at 978-413-1772, via email at Dave@atholbirdclub.org or through Facebook Messenger. Anyone spotting an unusual bird at their feeders is encouraged to contact Small, so that the bird’s identification can be confirmed and added to the count total. Pictures can also be sent.

A Christmas Bird Count Tally and Potluck will take place from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Miller River Environmental Center, 100 Main Street, Athol. Preliminary results of the annual Christmas Bird Count will be announced, followed by an informal group discussion and meeting.

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.