Paul Kirby reports in The Daily Freeman that a bird census in Ulster and Dutchess counties Dec. 29 counted more that double the number of bald eagles from previous efforts. Spotters locally counted 55 bald eagles during the National Audubon Society's annual Christmas Bird Count. “The 55 bald eagles identified ... more than doubled the average we had observed on the first seven counts,” said Mark DeDea, who also is the caretaker of the Forsyth Nature Center in Kingston. The warm weather may have been the reason for the high count. The area surveyed was along the Hudson River, which was "void of ice and the birds had not moved farther south to historic wintering areas, from Bear Mountain to Croton Point, where the river is narrower and remains open longer with the aid of boat traffic and tidal influence,” DeDea said. “The rebound of bald eagles and other apex predators within this ecosystem speaks to the rejuvenation the Hudson River Estuary is experiencing.... Remediation, more responsible waste disposal and farming practices are all contributing to a healthier river." Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.