On a chilly mid-December day, Quentin Yoerger and nine other volunteers, including Aaron Haycraft, Andy Paulios, David Huset, Fred Dike, Marty Evanson, Mike Ramsden, Rebecca Gilman, Tom Klubertanz, and Susan Lehnhardt systematically surveyed a circular plot with a 15-mile radius centered over Brodhead, recording each bird species observed and counting their numbers. Their windshield and on-the-ground searches focused on the wide-ranging natural and cultural habitats that occupy this part of the Lower Sugar River Watershed, including backyard feeders. 
By the end of the day, they had set a new record for the number of species found on the Brodhead count—56 species on the day of the count (December 14), plus an additional three “count week” species. In addition, they tallied 7,043 individual birds, which is above the 13 year average of 6,328 in the Brodhead area. More on the 2017 results below. In the meantime…
What is the Christmas Bird Count?
The National Audubon Society has been sponsoring Christmas Bird Counts across North America for more than 100 years. It is the longest running Citizen Science survey in the world, with tens of thousands of professional and amateur bird watchers participating every year. The post-migration, early winter data is an important contribution to understanding resident and migratory bird population trends. To learn more about the CBC and how to get involved, go to the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology website or contact your local bird organization Green Rock Audubon Society and the Ned Hollister Bird Club.
More on the Brodhead CBC results:
The complete history of the count beginning in 2005 can be found in a spreadsheet here.
This year, three new species included a Northern Saw-whet Owl, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and two Harris's Sparrows. Seven species of sparrow are a new high, but, as Quentin noted, they missed out on Song Sparrow for the first time ever!
Several species were found in 2017 for only the second time ever. (Note: “cw” means “count week”, additional birds observed during the week of the CBC.)
| Species | Number | Species | Number | |
| Red-shouldered hawk | cw | Field Sparrow | cw | |
| Short-eared owl | 1 | Common grakle | 1 | |
| Merlin | cw |
Record high numbers were found for the following species in 2017 and are compared to previous high records:
| Species | Number | Species | Number | |
| Northern harrier | 7 (previous high of 4) | Red-breasted nuthatch | 8 (6) | |
| Rock pigeon | 883 (456) | Winter wren | 2 (1) | |
| Belted kingfisher | 4 (2) | Eastern bluebird | 29 (28) | |
| Red-bellied woodpecker | 49 (46) | Purple finch | 8 (5) | |
| Blue jay | 162 (142) | Common redpoll | 10 (1) |
Complete 2017 list
| Species | Number | Species | Number | |
| Canada goose | 262 | Black-capped chickadee | 99 | |
| Wood duck | 1 | Tufted titmouse | 5 | |
| Mallard | 19 | Red-breasted nuthatch | 8 | |
| Ring-necked pheasant | 4 | White-breasted nuthatch | 66 | |
| Wild turkey | 113 | Brown creeper | 2 | |
| Nothern harrier | 7 | Winter wren | 2 | |
| Sharp-shinned hawk | 2 | Eastern bluebird | 29 | |
| Cooper's hawk | 4 | American robin | 2 | |
| Bald eagle | 5 | Eastern starling | 3,072 | |
| Red-shouldered hawk | cw | Cedar waxwing | 58 | |
| Red-tailed hawk | 51 | Lapland longspur | 46 | |
| Rough-legged hawk | 3 | Yellow-rumped warbler | 1 | |
| Rock Pigeon | 883 | American tree sparrow | 402 | |
| Eurasian collared dove | 15 | Field sparrow | cw | |
| Mourning dove | 182 | Dark-eyed junco | 812 | |
| Nothern saw-whet owl | 1 | Harris's sparrow | 2 | |
| Great horned owl | 3 | White-crowned sparrow | 8 | |
| Short-eared owl | 1 | White-throated sparrow | 3 | |
| Belted kingfisher | 4 | Swamp sparrow | 1 | |
| Red-headed woodpecker | 1 | Northern cardinal | 136 | |
| Red-bellied woodpecker | 49 | Red-winged blackbird | 5 | |
| Downy woodpecker | 51 | Common grackle | 1 | |
| Hairy woodpecker | 19 | Brown-headed cowbird | 4 | |
| Northern flicker | 1 | House finch | 131 | |
| American Kestrel | 12 | Purple finch | 8 | |
| Merlin | cw | Commom redpoll | 10 | |
| Nothern shrike | 1 | Pine siskin | 15 | |
| Blue jay | 162 | American goldfinch | 129 | |
| Horned lark | 171 |