Here birdy, birdy....
Next week take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count.
From February 15-18 take a walk outside and count birds for as little or as long as you want during the four-day period.
Tally the highest number of birds of each species seen together at any one time and report your findings at the Great Backyard Bird Count web site.
This four-day event engages bird watchers of all ages to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent.
Your counts can helps answer many questions:
Where are winter finches and other “irruptive” species that appear in large numbers during some years but not others?
How will the timing of birds’ migrations compare with past years?
How are bird diseases, such as West Nile virus, affecting birds in different regions?
What kinds of differences in bird diversity are apparent in cities versus suburban, rural, and natural areas?
Are any birds undergoing worrisome declines that point to the need for conservation attention?
To get your enthusiasm up, watch this fantastic video of the Lyre Bird from the BBC:
