CHANGE ON THE HORIZON; BIRD-WATCHERS SEE SOMETHING IN THE AIR.

Byline: Paul O'Donoghue Staff Writer

THOUSAND OAKS - While most people were fast asleep early on the day after New Year's Day, a Ventura County group braved the early morning chill to hike through parks and maintain a 99-year-old national tradition.

Dozens of members of the Conejo Valley chapter of the Audubon Society fanned out in about 20 parks and other open spaces Sunday in the bird count that is done annually throughout the nation about this time of year to track the numbers and types of birds in various locations.

As temperatures hovered in the low 40s, a group of 10 counters, dressed mostly in hats and coats and carrying binoculars and note pads, started their tally in the Conejo Community Park and abutting Conejo Valley Botanic Garden.

``It's just a recreational and educational experience, and the Christmas count is aimed mainly at environmental protection, to protect habitat and protect different species of birds,'' said Vic Hostetter, acting president of the 800-member chapter and bird-watcher for 45 years.

``And the count itself gives us an idea of how certain species are doing. Some birds are adapting to urbanization; other species are not doing so well.''

In Ventura County, birds that are doing well include the starling, mockingbird and black phoebes; those suffering from loss of habitat include wetlands dwellers and raptors that need large blocks of open space, such as the burrowing owl, the red-tailed hawk and the northern harrier, chapter members said.

The number of birds in the county doesn't seem to be changing, but the composition is, with birds that adapt well to urbanization on the increase while those that don't are on the decline, participants said.

University of California, Davis, avian sciences and music student Marianne Batchelder said birds are an indicator of environmental health. When birds that are higher on the food chain, such as hawks and harriers, are more plentiful, that's a sign wildlife of all kinds is abundant, said Batchelder. Hawks and harriers feed on animals that live in open spaces, who in turn live on smaller animals and plants.

``My main interest is in the environment, and birds are a good indicator of what's going on, and in many, many instances are the best way of telling what's going on,'' said Batchelder, a fourth-year student on her second count.

``I've always liked birds. They're beautiful and fascinating.''

Marianne's mom, Janice, testified to her daughter's fascination with birds from a young age, which got Janice and her husband, John, interested in the first place.

``She was always into birds when she was very, very young. It was she who got us interested,'' said Janice, who lives with her husband in Agoura Hills. ``I just enjoy it. It's relaxing, you get to be outdoors, and the birds are really interesting.

``You leave your other life behind.''

To cover the 50 or so acres of the park and botanic gardens, the group broke into smaller groups to undertake the count. Before entering some birds in their notebooks, less-experienced participants referred to field guides and checked with more knowledgeable colleagues when unsure of a bird's identity.

``Is that a red-tailed hawk in that tree right there?'' asked David Person, a Thousand Oaks resident and member of the club for one year, peering through a set of binoculars.

Longtime bird-watcher Roger Swanson snapped his binoculars to his eyes and confirmed that it was.

Both Person and Swanson started their day at about 5:30 a.m., watching birds at Wildwood Park between Thousand Oaks and Moorpark. There, they spotted the burrowing owl, a nocturnal bird that lives in the ground and is becoming increasingly rare due to habitat loss and predators such as cats.

Swanson's interest in birds began in 1963 when he was 15 years old in West Palm Beach, Fla., when his aunt pointed out a bird that had a 7-foot wingspan.

``That really caught my attention, the prehistoric look of the bird,'' said Swanson, who lives in Thousand Oaks.

``I then started keeping lists of the birds I saw.''

About 40 different species of birds were spotted during the count at the park and garden, ranging from hawks that roam for miles to one particular hermit thrush that Swanson says has lived in the same bush for years. Living up to his name, the dun-colored bird shyly flitted around when visitors approached.

It is impossible to count all the birds spotted, as flocks fly quickly across the sky. So in many cases the participants estimate the numbers, Swanson said.

Club members conduct the counts at the same locations every year for consistency, and each chapter has a 15-mile radius to cover, Hostetter said. Annual membership in the club, which was founded by American naturalist, ornithologist and painter John James Audubon, is $25, and includes a monthly magazine, guest speakers and field trips.

After the field work, the counters planned to meet in a member's house to tally the count, which is later aggregated with counts from the rest of the county, state and nation.

And then they planned to eat pizza and desserts brought by the members, Swanson said.

``It's a tradition. We do this every year,'' Swanson said.

- A version of this story appears in Main News.

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4 Photos

Photo: (1 -- color -- ran P. 1) Conejo Valley Audubon member David Person scans an oak tree for birds Sunday at Conejo Community Park during the annual count.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

(2 -- color -- ran P. 1) A hummingbird is spotted getting its feet wet at the Botanic garden.

(3 -- color) Sharon Fierstadt and Mark Holzband scour the landscape for birds Sunday at the Conejo Valley Botanic Garden in Thousand Oaks.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

(4 -- color) House finches and mourning doves congregate Sunday at a backyard feeder near the Community Park.