Great Backyard Bird Count

Last year the Great Backyard Bird Count sneaked up on me and I didn't announce it to my readers until the evening of the first day (it's a four-day event). Not so this year. (Photo of Song Sparrow courtesy of Ken Thomas.)

This year I want to give everyone ample time to investigate this annual event sponsored by Audubon. It begins on February 12 so you have 5 days yet to prepare!

http://www.audubon.org/gbbc/index.shtml?gclid=CNyi6P7U258CFQhinAodc1_lIg

Briefly, Audubon encourages everyone to take at least 20 minutes on each or all of the four days of the event to note not only the bird species in their backyard but also the specific numbers. For instance, during that 20-minute "watch" do you see one or two Northern Cardinals? Is there a small flock of Black-capped Chickadees visiting your feeder? If so, how many are in the flock? That's the general idea. Find out more at the link provided above.

Right now I'm in "practice" mode and I'm happy to report that today (and everyday) I've quite an array of birds in my backyard. Not only am I lucky to live somewhere with a good habitat for many species, but I also daily put out black-oil sunflower seeds. This assures a large gathering of birds every single day.

So here's today's "practice" list (beginning on the 12th I'll have to take a new inventory):

--Dozens of Blue Jays--hard to count there are so many, but I'll place the number at about three dozen or 36 birds.

--2 Northern Cardinals (one male, one female)

--1 male Red-bellied Woodpecker. (I've seen the female on other days but not today so I can't count her.)

--Dozens of Black-capped Chickadees. Again, hard to get an exact count as they are flying in and out of the trees surrounding my feeders. But again I'll definitely commit to at minimum two dozen, and so 24.

--A flock of Starlings: 20 birds.

--Dark-eyed Juncos: 18 birds or so?

--Tufted-titmice: 9 individuals, that I can see.

--American Crows (saw three early this morning at my feeder but can't count them as I didn't begin my "watch" until this afternoon). Even so, I heard many crows calling during my bird watch and saw some flying overhead. I'll but my crow total at a dozen, though this is a fairly modest estimate.

--Quite surprisingly I saw a Song Sparrow: just one. Haven't seen a Song Sparrow for many weeks now.

--A few White-breasted Nuthatches: only 3.

--Can't forget the flock of wintering American Goldfinch. I'll put that number at a little more than a dozen, about 14.

And there you have it--a list and count of the birds I saw in my backyard in 20 minutes.

Of course you can watch longer than 20 minutes; however, you want to be careful not to count the same birds more than once. And you can watch anywhere--it doesn't need to be your backyard. Again, check the Audubon site for specific instructions and tips!

Why not start practicing now? Get out your bird guide and see what birds are visiting your yard.

Until next time . . . Keep birds in your heart!

Georgia Anne