For a group of volunteers -- including a few from Kern Audubon -- counting birds at the Pixley National Wildlife Refuge, the job starts at 6 a.m. And the birds don't always cooperate. This great post from our friends at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service describes the sights and sounds.

It was 6 a.m., and dark. The occasional beaming headlights illuminated the mist. A crew of five gathered at the main entrance of the Pixley National Wildlife Refuge, 45 miles north of Bakersfield, Calif., waiting for the thick fog to break, so they could do their jobs: count the number of birds on the refuge ...

Conducting migratory bird counts or biological surveys play a major role on refuges. From year-in to year-out, Service employees are collecting information about how wildlife are using the refuge.