Wednesday, February 11

Wednesday Daily Dose of Cute:
Are You Ready for the Great Backyard Bird Count?


One. . . Two. . . Three. . .

It starts on Friday! Bird and nature fans throughout North America are invited to join tens of thousands of bird watchers for the 12th annual Great Backyard Bird Count which will take place February 13-16, 2009.

A joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, 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 who can identify even a few species can contribute to the body of knowledge that is used to inform conservation efforts to protect birds and biodiversity,” said Audubon Education Vice-President, Judy Braus.

Volunteers take part by counting birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the event and reporting their sightings online at birdcount.org. The data help researchers understand bird population trends across the continent, information that is critical for effective conservation. In 2008, participants submitted more than 85,000 checklists, a new record. How cool is that?

Check out the Great Backyard Bird Count website for lots more info about this neat event. And to learn more about birds in general, visit All About Birds.

Want to count some chickens?
2/14/06: 5pm and Looking for Love
7/21/06: And Sheeeeeeee's SAFE!

6/1/07: Whitey Gets Her Wish
6/5/07: I'm Just Wai-tin' On A Friend
6/17/07: Whitey and her Baby Chicks
6/19/07: Caution—Foodie Forming
8/2/07: Curious Chickie
8/3/07: Baby's First Perch
8/4/07: Baby's First Dust Bath
8/5/07: Mother As Landing Pad
8/9/07: Cock-a-doodle-doo!
8/26/07: Capturing a Quiet Moment
11/22/07: Enjoying A Feast

1/26/08: Faithful Chicken Guard?
3/6/08: Do Chickens Ever Smile?
4/5/08: Chicken Dance
4/9/08: Rooster Two-Step
4/20/08: 2008 Chick Days Are Here!
4/22/08: Who Needs Ducks?
4/24/08: Country Classifieds
5/6/08: Baby Cary Checks Out the Chickens
6/3/08: Chicken Snacks (Not a Recipe)
10/2/08: Gossip Central
10/11/08: Farm Fresh Eggs, They're What's For Breakfast

1/28/09: Snowed In! (scroll down for chickens)
3/7/09: Cluck! Cluck! Cluck!
4/13/09: Chick Days Are Here Again!
10/25/09: Egg Layers, the Next Generation
6/12/09: Last One Born's a Rotten Egg!
6/14/09: Another Chick Pic
6/15/09: Pizza Party
10/25/09: Egg Layers, the Next Generation
12/31/09: Cheers to You on New Year's!

1/6/10: Easiest Guard Job Ever
1/18/10: Somebody's Laying Green Eggs

© 2009 FarmgirlFare.com, the fine feathered foodie farm blog where, even though we know that technically they're birds (and in the backyard), we're pretty sure that chickens don't get to be part of the Great Backyard Bird Count. But please don't tell them, okay? You know how Whitey can be.

16 comments:

  1. We saw a Robin yesterday. Not a very exciting bird, but boy was I excited at the thought that this might mean an early Spring!

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  2. I love the donkeys! Just curious what role they play on your farm other than that of providing us with our daily dose of cuteness?

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  3. Thank you so much for the Great Backyard Bird Count info! I will definitely check it out.

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  4. Hey, I can count birds! I'll have to tell my father about this, he'll love it. Thanks.

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  5. 15 chooks, 8 ducks. Boy that was easy!

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  6. I think it's great! I remember over the summer seeing lots of new kinds of birds in my backyard and wondering what they were..... I'd love to take part. And it might even be a way to learn more about them, figuring out what they are for the project.

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  7. In a life where I constantly am playing catch up (and often don't even make it) I thought the count was last weekend and filled all the feeders and was all ready!! And then discovered I was a week early - and the birds are feasting really well. In fact as I write this a huge hawk glided into the tree in front of me....what synchronicity. And that is to keep company with the umpteen finches lined up on the feeder. We will be pencils at the ready this weekend. Thanks for highlighting this great activity.....you are not just farmgirl but earthgirl! Excellent!!! Donkeys are cute too.

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  8. I left a comment yesterday,but I don't see it here? So I juat wanted to say thanks for the heads-up about the bird count, we hardly have any birds around here, except for some doves in the summer and hawks. I love to check this blog everyday, it seems we have alot in common!

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  9. Speaking of Whitney-her picture is framed in one of my dinig rooms. SusieAlene

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  10. I like the colour of your rooster in the picture, very nice.

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  11. We'll be doing this (ok, *I*, will be doing this) in my NorCal backyard at least one day this weekend.

    Hopefully we'll get one of our rare Oriole sightings - they're crazy to see hanging off the feeders with the tiny finches.

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  12. I hope the birds wait a little while in our area; it's still cold and snowcovered.
    Stop by "my place" if you get a chance; I've passed on an award!

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  13. Looks like those donkeys have already started the bird counting!
    I wish I lived closer... I have a sudden urge to hug a donkey. :)

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  14. Counting birds sounds like a great idea. Do I need to know what kind they are??? I know some of them but not all of them.
    I have two miniature donkeys and they are very entertaining also.

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  15. very nice your blog..

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December 2015 update: Hi! For some reason I can't figure out, Blogger hasn't been letting me leave comments on my own blog (!) for the last several months, so I've been unable to respond to your comments and questions. My apologies for any inconvenience! You're always welcome to email me: farmgirlfare AT gmail DOT com.

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