Great Backyard Bird Count Coming Feb. 13

January 31st, 2009

Glynn Wilson

The 12th annual Great Backyard Bird Count will begin Feb. 13, when tens of thousands of amateur birders will help experts collect data for science — and fun.

Sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, the Great Backyard Bird Count Website has some new features this year, an interactive game: Eagle Eyes.

Everyone who submits a bird checklist during the GBBC is automatically entered in our drawing for bird-related items donated by Wild Birds Unlimited, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, and Droll Yankees. Visit here to see the selection.

GBBC events are taking place around the continent. Discover what’s going on in your area on the GBBC website’s Local Events page.

If you’re hosting an event, email Pat Leonard at pel27@cornell.eduand we will post information.

If you have young people at home, consider decorating a tree with treats for birds. Download a brochure with recipes for making feeders and treats for the birds from GBBC sponsor Wild Birds Unlimited.

All photos submitted will be entered in the photo contest, and some will be posted in an online gallery. Images and counts will be accepted through March 1.

To enter your bird count checklists, go to Birdcount.org and click on the big “Enter your Checklists” button at the top of the page.

We’ve gathered some great data and nabbed some great photos in the past, so with any luck, we’ll get some this year. Check back in a couple of weeks.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, January 31st, 2009 at 2:03 am and is filed under Birds of Alabama, Science News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

No Responses to “Great Backyard Bird Count Coming Feb. 13”

1. Tom Says:
   February 1st, 2009 at 12:26 pm

   Pretty doggone nice shot of chick-a -deedeedeedee. Did you get with digital, or with film and big chunk of glass? Just right eyelight, to my tastes.

2. Glynn Wilson Says:
   February 1st, 2009 at 1:56 pm

   Thanks Tom. It’s digital, with a Nikon D-50, three years old. I’m trying to raise the money for a new one and a bigger lens : )

   You might ask, how in the world did you get close enough to a little bird like that — a bird that almost never stops moving — to get that shot?

   Well, you have to be tricky. Right outside one of the front windows on our house there is a dogwood tree. I positioned a bird feeder in that tree not far from the window. I took the screen out of the storm window and fixed up a bird blind with plastic that I can use during the spring and fall migrations and the bird count in February.

   When the birds land on a limb going to and from the feeder, I can snap away in a burst and usually get several good, sharp images.

   It would be darn near impossible to get that kind of a shot in the wild without a giant lens. A tripod is almost useless, since they move around too much and too fast.

   Now you know my trick : )

3. Tom Says:
   February 2nd, 2009 at 1:20 pm

   I’ve got a few good ‘uns very similarly – pretty much live in a recliner by our sliding glass door to the back porch, and line the rails several times a day with sunflower seeds, a major budget item at our house. You know the rest of the story from there, I’m sure.

4. Glynn Wilson Says:
   February 2nd, 2009 at 1:30 pm

   Yes, the bird seed costs a small fortune, but if you don’t have pets, and we don’t, it’s about like spending money on dog or cat food.

   One of these days, I’m going to come see you up there in the country and check out your set up : )