Petersburg Pilot -

Brad Hunter and a group of just under 10 volunteers spent Saturday morning and some of the afternoon participating in the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, the 75th in Alaska and 116th held nationwide since 1900. The group started counting at first light and surveyed from Hungry Point to the fish hatchery at Blind Slough on Mitkof Island.

“We didn’t really find anything highly unusual,” he said. “It’s just a good excuse to get out and pay attention to what is around us every day.”

Hunter says the group documented 44 species total, about six below average. There was also a noticea...