Birders in Mathews County spent Saturday turning their gaze to the skies as they took part in the annual Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count. Here, Bill Corbin, Cindy Schultz, Bill Boeh and Mark Sopko, from left, were among those spending the morning cataloging birds at a farm on Fickle Fen Road. Thirty-seven volunteers observed 14,937 birds from 99 species, according to preliminary numbers gathered by Sopko, who was the local count’s compiler. In spite of beautiful weather creating ideal bird counting conditions, the numbers were down from last year, Sopko said.
...