The Great Backyard Bird Count

Nature-loving friends, have you been waking up to more and more birdsong lately? Even though it's still cold here in the Mid-Atlantic, the birds are starting to sing their lovely songs again, which means more opportunities to observe them and see what species are making an appearance again. Don't forget about the Great Backyard Bird Count! It runs from February 13-16, 2015, which means it starts today! Don't worry, it only requires 15 minutes of your time on one or more of those days. You choose how much time you want to devote to counting and observing the fine-feathered friends that come to visit your yard. 

How does it work? Count birds for fifteen minutes on one or more days of the GBBC. Count birds in one or more locations (your backyard, the park, your great aunt's backyard, or wherever you choose) and report your findings. Submit a separate checklist for each new day, for each new location, or for the same location if you count at a different time of day. Estimate the number of individuals of each species you see during your counting period. There are helpful tools on the GBBC website for assistance in identifying birds. There is also a bird list for your specific postal code. It's also fascinating to view the world map on the site to see where people from all over the globe are reporting on the birds they have observed. 

We participated in this when we lived in Canada but have not done so since we moved back to the States. Since my little girls and I went through the Birds Of A Feather unit study earlier in the school year, this is going to be a fun "extra" for them. You can see my review of Birds of a Feather HERE.

Are you going to sign up and count the birds in your garden this year? I'd love to know if you do and what kind of birds you have the opportunity to observe. Go here to sign up and print out your observation sheets. There's also a free app, if you would prefer to enter your data via your phone!

Happy bird watching!

Blessings and love. xo

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