The Great Backyard Bird Count

It is not too late to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count( G.B.B.C.)! Jointly sponsored by the Audubon Society and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, the GBBC has been going on for more than 20 years. It happens February 15-19, 2013, and attempts to get an accurate count of winter birds in the United States. With thousands of participants all across the country, it creates a "snapshot" of the bird population.

Go to a nearby park or just sit in front of a window for at least 15 minutes at the same time each day to do your count. You do not even have to be an expert "bird watcher" as there are bird calls and a poster to identify the most common birds on the website. For more information, go to www.birdsource.org and log in with some basic information.

I feed the birds all winter and fill my feeder at 7:30a.m. each morning, also being careful to sprinkle some seeds on the ground for the ground feeding birds. This morning I was the first from Richmond Heights to log in with my count at 8:30a.m. I spotted a total of 6 bird species, 20 birds in all during my 15 minute observation period.

Besides being a lot of fun and participating in a scientific study, the bird count also awards prizes each year to the reporters. So, start counting!