It was cold and blustery on Jan. 2, but that didn’t stop a large number of Island birders from heading out into nature for the 56th annual Christmas Bird Count on the Vineyard.

This year’s annual Christmas Bird Count participants, 65 in the field and 29 watching their feeders, found more birds than we had in recent years.

The Christmas Bird Count was a lackluster event this year. All the teams had to work hard to find birds. The total is 121 species.

Lots of birders, but fewer birds, showed up on Saturday for the 55th annual Christmas Bird Count. The historic tally tracks how species increase or decrease each year.

Christmas has special meaning depending on who you are and what you believe.

The 2013 Christmas Bird Count was held Jan. 4 on the Vineyard and tallied 16,349 individuals and 119 species.

A self-described beginning birder for almost 25 years finds the annual Christmas Bird Count a journey of discovery this year.

Shortly after 11 a.m. on Saturday a large flock of buffleheads, common goldeneye and scaup floating on the southwest side of Sengekontacket Pond began to move as a unit towards the frozen marshes on the shore of the pond.

The annual Martha’s Vineyard Christmas Bird Count was held on Saturday, Jan. 4.

What is the real number of snowy owls on Martha’s Vineyard?