Since its origin in 1900, the Christmas Bird Count has become a holiday fixture for ever-expanding numbers of birders across the globe, giving a valuable gift to generations of wildlife scientists — a massive trove of data on bird populations in the Western Hemisphere.

The Franklin Bird Club leads walks along the greenway on Wednesday mornings at 8 a.m. Walks start at alternating locations: Macon County Public Library, Big Bear Park and Salali Lane.

Balsam Mountain Trust announced its seventh-annual Bird Festival celebrating World Migratory Bird Day. 

One day last December, a flock of robins descended on the loaded winterberry hollies in our yard, their red breasts making the clump look like it was hung with big Christmas tree ornaments.

Join MountainTrue’s 18th annual caravan around the Lake Chatuge shoreline to view a variety of birds 7:30-9:30 a.m. Saturday, March 9. 

Catch a sight of migratory birds at 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at Lake Junaluska. 

Find out how birds talk to each other during a program offered at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 29, at the Cowee School Arts and Heritage Center near Franklin. This talk was rescheduled from its original Jan. 15 date due to inclement weather.