Photo by Deb Gau Tools like binoculars and a camera helped Garrett Wee spot and document different species of birds in the Marshall area on Saturday. Wee was one of the area volunteers taking part in this year’s Audubon Christmas Bird Count.

MARSHALL — Between the blowing snow and the cold, it wasn’t an easy day for birdwatching. But on Saturday, a small group of area residents were out looking for birds anyway.

“I love it, even if it’s a challenge,” said Garrett Wee. Equipped with binoculars and a camera, Wee was one of the volunteers participating in the annual Christmas Bird Count for the Marshall area.

The Christmas Bird Count is an annual survey, which was started by the Audubon Society in 1900. Each winter, volunteers across the U.S. count the number of and type of birds they see or hear in an area during one day. Different area counts across the country are held between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5. In the Marshall area, volunteers covered a circle including the city of Marshall, as well as Lynd and Camden State Park, Amiret, and Garvin Park.

The birds weren’t out in big groups after last week’s snowstorm.

“Singles of everything is about all,” said volunteer Beth Collins. But there was still a good variety – Collins said she counted 22 different species by Saturday afternoon. “That’s not bad for me.”

“The total count is probably going to be very good,” said volunteer Paul Egeland. The Marshall area count would likely see around 35 to 40 different bird species, he said.

Volunteers had a few unusual finds, too. Wee said he spotted a great blue heron by a patch of open water near the ADM-SMSU Environmental Learning Area at Southwest Minnesota State University.

Local volunteers said they traveled through a variety of bird habitats on Saturday, including fields and open country, wooded areas and even areas in towns, where backyard feeders attract birds. Wee said the pine trees planted in the Environmental Learning Area are attractive to bird species you might otherwise expect to see in northern Minnesota. The area also provides a lot of shelter for birds like owls, he said.

Wee didn’t see any owls this year, but volunteers said they still saw plenty of bird species, ranging from hawks and woodpeckers to house finches.

The Christmas Bird Count brings a group of area volunteers back year after year. Egeland said this year marked the 60th Christmas Bird Count in Cottonwood. Egeland also helps compile the Marshall and Lac qui Parle area counts. According to the Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count website, the Marshall area count has been conducted since 1970.

Collins and Wee each said they’ve been participating in the Christmas Bird Count for about 10 years.

“I got into it in high school,” Wee said.

Volunteers said it took some practice to identify and get familiar with different types of birds seen in southwest Minnesota. But they had plenty of support from fellow birdwatchers.

“It’s a community that likes to help others succeed,” Collins said.