Against a pewter gray sky, a rough-legged hawk perched atop a power pole and then exploded into action as it swooped and then hovered over the field below in search of its elusive prey.

It was a dramatic start for this birder’s Christmas Bird Count on Saturday.

My husband and I were among the 51 volunteers taking to the fields, forests and wetlands around Helena to record the species and numbers of birds we saw. Our designated section included an area stretching from Fort Harrison into the Scratch Gravel Hills.

As we trekked up hills and along ridges, we found and recorded 17 species, among them nuthatches, Townsend’s solitaires, mountain chickadees, Clark’s nutcrackers and downy woodpeckers.

During our lunch, sitting sheltered in a grove of limber pine, we were thrilled to first sight one and then a second bald eagle soaring above.

And toward the end of our day — more rewards — a northern shrike and a red-tailed hawk.

Part of the thrill is definitely spotting and identifying the birds. But there’s joy in just walking through the winter landscape — listening, watching and sitting down and waiting to see what happens by.

This 53rd Christmas Bird Count in Helena attracted both welcome newcomers — new and enthusiastic volunteers — and an unwelcome interloper — the Eurasian collared-dove.

Some fear that this exotic species from southern, temperate climates could prove the feathered equivalent of spotted knapweed or leafy spurge. Only time and scientific observation will tell its impact.

“It was a good year for the number of species, an above-average year for the number of birds and a great year for number of participants,” said Cedron Jones, who crunches the data for the Helena count, sponsored by Last Chance Audubon Society.

It will be a month or more before Jones can analyze the data and discern overall trends.

However, his initial analysis yields the following snapshot. The 51 volunteers made this the third highest year for participation.

There were 63 total species and a total of 15,959 birds

counted.

Eight species had record counts. Four of these had significantly higher counts this year: Townsend’s solitaire, raven, flicker and common goldeneye.

Four more species set new records, but not by significant amounts: Canada goose, red-tailed hawk, pygmy nuthatch and starling.

The bulk of the count, 11,500, was made up by four species.

Leading the flock were Bohemian waxwings at 5,164.

Winging behind them were Canada geese, 3,600; mallards, 1,700; and house sparrows, at about 1,000.

Over the past 30 to 35 years, the number of birds and species recorded has remained about the same, said Jones. However, the local species mix has really changed, particularly compared over the 53 years of the Helena count.

“It’s the grass birds we’re not seeing. We used to get short-eared owls, horned larks and open country finches — siskins, redpolls and evening grosbeaks.

“We haven’t seen a short-eared owl or evening grosbeak in I don’t know how long,” Jones said.

“One count we had 5,600 horned larks. It’s a phenomenal number.”

Subdivisions and development are to blame, he said.

“The larks need open fields with short grass. It’s much the same with short-eared owls.”

Spotting such trends in bird populations is one of the major reasons Audubon created the Christmas Bird Count, now in its 100th year nationally.

Its purpose is to track changes in both bird abundance and distribution, said Steven Hoffman, executive director of Montana Audubon.

One thing the count will tell is changes in migratory patterns.

“We want to measure changes over time,” he said. Take the Eurasian collared-dove, “it’s an exotic bird not native to North America. It tends to be found in warmer climates. It could impact one or more native species. If they can survive winter in Montana, it’s another sign of global warming.”

The count is done consistently each year, he said. The area of the count is a consistent and exact circle with a 15-mile diameter, encompassing a variety of habitat — the city, wetlands, grasslands and forest.

In Montana, 31 communities do a Christmas Bird Count.

“It’s a citizen science project, it’s fun and it’s a tradition,” he said.

And part of the fun is typically the potluck afterward, when volunteers share not only home-cooked food and the highlights of their day — from dippers in East Helena, to a great horned owl, kestrels, merlins, kingfishers and horned larks. And then there’s always the plastic flamingos and over-the-top lawn ornaments spied en route.

Some bird-watchers discovered not only birds, but new areas to explore.

“I just enjoyed getting to know the Helena Valley — all these special places,” said Scott Story, who is new to the area and did his first Helena bird count this year. “It’s nice to learn the valley.”

Reporter Marga Lincoln: 447-4074 or marga.lincoln@helenair.com