Nature enthusiasts host annual bird count

Residents spent their morning searching for birds in Pelham Bay Park for the annual Christmas Bird Count.
Each year, a group of nature enthusiasts gather to identify and count different species of birds.
While many of these volunteers joined the bird count as a recreational activity, there is a scientific component to it as well.
They say the data collected can help scientists evaluate the health of the environment, and whether a species is in decline.
With the record-breaking warm weather, the birdwatchers sought out birds that normally wouldn't appear this time of year.