Saturday, February 13

Saturday Dose of Cute:
The Great Backyard Bird Count is Going on Now!


Chickens Not Included in the Count (our newest chicks, hatched September 2009)

Bird and nature fans throughout North America are invited to take part in the 13th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, which started yesterday and continues through Monday, February 15, 2010.

A joint project between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Audubon Society, and (new this year) Bird Studies Canada (BSC), this free event is an opportunity for families, students, and people of all ages to discover the wonders of nature in backyards, schoolyards, and local parks, and, at the same time, make an important contribution to conservation.

Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from novice bird watchers to experts. Participants count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the event and report their sightings online at www.birdcount.org. The data helps researchers understand bird population trends across the continent, information that is critical for effective conservation.

Last year, participants turned in more than 93,600 checklists online, creating the continent's largest instantaneous snapshot of bird populations ever recorded.

All participants are entered in a drawing for prizes that include bird feeders, binoculars, books, CDs, and many other great birding products.

You'll find lots more info about this neat event on the Great Backyard Bird Count website, and you can learn more about birds in general at All About Birds. In addition, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology have just created WeLoveBirds.org, a space for bird enthusiasts to meet each other, interact, and share stories in the Community Blog and the Bird Sightings sections.

Feel like counting some chickens first? You'll find links to lots of chick pics here.

© 2010 FarmgirlFare.com, the flying foodie farm blog where, if you look closely, you can see the mama hen just to the left of that nesting box (aka a plastic milk crate), peering in at her new babies and trying to figure out how the heck she went from sitting on top of them to sitting next to them. Don't worry—I only moved her for a few seconds so I could check the chicks and snap some pictures, then I plunked her back in place. None of the other eggs hatched, but these four now nearly grown up chickens are all doing fine—except for the fact that at least two of them are definitely roosters.

5 comments:

  1. I just heard something about this the other day. If I didn't have a house to finish remodeling, a baby coming in less than a month, and hundreds of seedlings to take care of and finish starting I would totally do this. :) It is a really great idea and kudos to anyone who participates.

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  2. What an interesting project! I've been seeing so many little birdies in the yard lately. This morning I saw a beautiful robin (I think) in the backyard.

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  3. I'm hoping out baby chicks will live this year, I just love them! Come say hi :D

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  4. Oh my gosh, those chicks are ADORABLE.

    And about the backyard bird count...my neighbors around here are out of luck. I am going bankrupt feeding my birds black nyjer seeds at 25.00 a bag. Good thing I don't buy clothes.

    Love and best wishes for Valentine's Day

    Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island

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  5. This is the first year in a long time that we've missed the GBYBC and I felt guilty! Forgive me, Cornell ornithologists.

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