Every December for the past 121 years, thousands of people across North and South America stand outside all day, eyes glued to the sky. They are not standing vigil for Santa; they’re counting birds. Flying birds, perching birds, wading and swimming birds. Nearing Christmas, on a designated day, groups gather with binoculars and bird books in hand—all volunteering for the Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count (CBC). This year, Hannibal joined in, in large part because George Wisdom, a member of Mississippi Hills Master Naturalists, thought it a spectacularly good idea.