One week from today — February 13-16 — the Great Backyard Bird Count will take a real-time snapshot of the birds in North America and beyond.
Since 1998 the Great Backyard Bird Count has enlisted volunteers like us to count the birds we see for four days in mid-February. We count them in our backyards or anywhere we choose. Last year more than 142,000 volunteers tallied birds in 135 countries. Most of us count in North America so the northern cardinal and dark-eyed junco were the #1 and #2 birds. Click here to see which species was #3.
Counting is so easy you can participate from your kitchen window! Just fill your feeders, sit back with a cup of your favorite beverage, and tally the highest count of each species for at least 15 minutes. Then submit your observations online. Don’t be daunted. It’s really easy. Click here for instructions from Cornell Lab.
There are also outdoor events across the U.S. and in Pittsburgh –> Emerald View Park with Venture Outdoors, Three Rivers Birding Club & Fern Hollow Nature Center at Sewickley Heights Park, and Pittsburgh Botanical Garden.
If you love to take photographs, submit your best shots to the GBBC photo contest. Click here for contest information.
It’s as easy as 1-2-3.
- Get ready this coming week.
- Set up your feeders and …
- Go!
February 13-16, 2015.
(Marcy Cunkelman counted 3 dark-eyed juncoes in this photo from her backyard.)
“Set up your feeders” If only. Don’t know if you’ve heard, but in CA we’ve been told to take down all feeders and birdbaths due to avian trich being spread by non native pigeons. How depressing.
Janet, that sounds awful!
At least we’ll have a few white-throated sparrows to report since the snow has shown up (if we still have any after all the rain this coming weekend). Lots of gold finches this year.
We might also have a bald eagle to report! Apparently one was sighted at Canonsburg Lake recently, and my daughter saw one eating from a deer carcass down the road from our house a few days ago, and then flying out in the valley today…probably the same bird. Very exciting!
Mary Ann, a bald eagle would be such a cool backyard bird!
Mary Ann,
My family and I just went to Giant Eagle at Donaldson Crossroads and fittingly enough an adult Bald Eagle was only about 60′ off of the ground circling the parking lot! Very exciting!