It is time again for the Great Backyard Bird Count.

Scientists use the counts along with observations from citizen-science projects to provide an immense representation of winter birds.

The health of birds reflects the integrity of our air, water, soil and other natural resources we rely on, which also surely affects the health of humans.

In the spring of 2001, I was a mess. I found myself in constant pain. At times I couldn’t walk, and I was unable to even button a button, hold a pen or even click the computer mouse.

Awaiting a diagnosis and unable to work, I sat around the house pretty much doing nothing.

One afternoon, as I waited for the daily visit of my faithful friends, Dr. Phil and Oprah, out of the corner of my eye a huge gray bird flew within a few feet from the window.

Much to my surprise a northern goshawk had landed in my front yard.

She looked awful. Her head hung down, her feathers were ruffled and she was all hunched over.

She looked like how I felt, except for the ruffled feathers part — if I would have had feathers, believe me, they would have been ruffled.

She was one sick bird.

I called the Department of Fish and Wildlife and was told there was no one who could help.

They suggested I call the Northwest Raptor Center, which I did. I was told to try to catch her using a blanket, and then bring her in.

I went out with a blanket, but my hands did not work at this time. After several attempts I gave up.

She might have been sick, but she was able to fly away just enough that I could not get the blanket over her.

I called the raptor center back and reported I was unable to catch her but thought she might be hungry and I was going to feed her. They told me they doubted that would work, but good luck.

Outside again, I put some food down and I slowly backed away. She walked over and began to eat.

Soon I was lobbing different cuts of meat to the bird in flight, but it was not easy with bad hands. Sometimes it took several tries, but her daily visits got me up and moving.

Worried about her nutrition, I consulted a goshawk expert and she suggested I feed her some mice and rats. She provided me with some frozen ones and it was well, gross.

Where does one store frozen mice and rats, and in what section of the fridge do you thaw them?

Finally I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, the chronic disease that causes pain in the joints. It occurs when your immune system mistakenly starts attacking healthy tissue.

I was put on one of those medications advertised on television with the warnings that if you experience spontaneous combustion, loss of a limb or a third eye grows in your forehead, call your doctor.

Then on Aug. 30, I watched as the goshawk bagged her own dinner: a band tail pigeon. I knew she was going to make it.

The bird got better and I got better.

In February 2008, as I finished my Great Back Yard Bird Count, I turned to look at the sunset and there it was a northern goshawk flying low over my head.

As if on cue, a goshawk had shown up just in time to make the count.

The bird count runs from Feb. 18-21. To participate go to www.birdsource.org/gbbc.

It’s a chance for humans to improve the health of birds — and maybe with the knowledge gained, birds can even improve the health of humans.

Christi Baron is a longtime West End resident who is the office and property manager for Lunsford & Associates real estate.

She lives with her husband, Howard, in Forks.

Phone her at 360-374-3141 or 360-374-2244 with items for this column, or e-mail her at hbaron@centurytel.net.

West End Neighbor appears on the PDN’s Commentary page every other Tuesday.

Christi’s next column will appear March 1.