In this Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 photo, Rich Kostecke, a bird expert and associate director of conservation, research and planning at the Nature Conservancy in Texas, carries his sighting scope during an... more 

In this Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 photo, Rich Kostecke, a bird expert and associate director of conservation, research and planning at the Nature Conservancy in Texas, carries his sighting scope during an annual 24-hour Christmastime ritual to count birds along the Texas Gulf Coast in Mad Island, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) less