On a chilly December morning, I packed my snacks and binoculars, threw my coat on, and rushed out the door to meet my CBC counting group for my local circle in Fort Collins, CO. In doing so, I was one of thousands of people across the hemisphere taking time out of their week to contribute their birding skills to this bigger cause. To me, the Christmas Bird Count has always been a happy marriage of birding (a dear passion of mine), socializing (precious to someone with a busy schedule and young kids), and tradition (like many birders, I’ve been doing CBCs every year since I discovered birding). Neither bad weather nor long hours can dampen my excitement for the endeavor. Many of my fellow CBC participants feel the same way, whether they are bundling up to face wind and snow, grabbing rain jackets to avoid getting too wet, or spraying on sunscreen and bringing extra water to head out into heat and humidity. Whatever the reason that motivates people to join their local CBC, their contributions matter.…