Counting the birds of LaValle Creek in the fog

Missoula, Montana's LaValle Creek is an area with a diverse mix of habitats, from grassland and hawthorn thickets to aspen groves and conifer forest. And for four years now, Steve Flood has been counting winter birds in this area as part of the Missoula Christmas Bird Count. This year, I went with him. This story is about the birds we found - and those we didn't find. And it's also about being part of something much larger: a continent-wide search, involving thousands of volunteers, to check up on the health of our mid-winter birds.