The Yule Bird Count was an annual competition between Sunset Grove and Fernwood to see whose residents could spot the most types of birds on Yule Day. While relatively good natured, complaints occasionally came up from the losing side that the other had cheated and not really seen some of the reported birds. One year, the competition became especially intense when Lucy Parker and Fred O'Neill, each a witch from one of the competing towns, began using their magical powers to attract birds not normally found in Southern California.