Five o’clock in the morning is tough. Particularly in December. But if you want to see the birds, this is what you must do. But this was no ordinary birdwatching excursion. I was in Oakland, Lake Merritt, taking part in the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, joining thousands of others around the country in the country’s largest volunteer science project.

It was so cold I could barely hold my binoculars.

It would be great if there were some kind of app or satellite that could tell us exactly what birds were where, and in what numbers. But really the only way to do it to put eyeballs on birds.

Oakland is the most urban count in the country. While other participants around the country were traipsing through bucolic forests or bright deserts, my count took me over manicured lawns, parking lots, and sidewalks.

Well, at least I had ready access to very good hot coffee.

Right off, we spotted an unexpected treat, a Yellow-rumped Warbler – affectionately called a Butterbutt for its yellow feathers in the back.

As we made our way around the lake, we got a few odd looks from the regulars: joggers, walkers, maintenance workers, the homeless. More than a few people walked up, “Are you doing the bird count?”

For a birder, you can’t top this. We get to do something we enjoy, and we’re making a real contribution to science. Data from this project is used for all kinds of research into the impacts on birds and nature from development, pollution, disease, habitat loss, and more.

Just this year, Christmas Bird Count data anchored Audubon’s research into how global warming will effect birds in coming years. Thanks to volunteers like the ones I joined, we’ll have a better shot at saving some of our favorite species – such as our national symbol, the Bald Eagle.

We didn’t see any Bald Eagles. But we did see a ton of California Towhees – a hardworking, if somewhat bland looking songbird. The Oakland count gets more California Towhees than any other count. And Ruby-crowned Kinglets – so cool.

Every time I go birding, I am part of something bigger than myself. Birds live in a different universe than we do, migrating thousands of miles from the tropics or the boreal forests far north.

But the Audubon Christmas Bird Count feels larger still, a chance for one person in one place to make a contribution that will benefit birds and people for decades to come.

Brigid McCormack is executive director of Audubon California.

(photo of a California Towhee by Paul Sullivan.)