February 11, 2022
The Great Backyard Bird Count
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What is the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)? |
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The 25th edition of the Great Backyard Bird Count is coming up February 18 through 21. GBBC is a global project to collect data on wild birds and to display the data in as close to real time as possible. Data is entered into eBird, the world’s largest biodiversity-related citizen science (community science) project and scientists use the massive database to track changes in bird populations over time.
Everyone is invited to participate! In 2021 over 300,000 people across the globe identified 6,436 species of birds and added 151,393 new images to the Cornell Lab Macaulay Library. Not sure how to get started or have more questions? You can register for a free webair on February 16th at 2pm, and their website has step by step instructions to get you started, along with a list of Frequently Asked Questions to peruse.
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"Sometimes people feel intimidated about jumping into the world of birds if they have no previous experience," said Patrick Nadeau, president of Birds Canada. "The Great Backyard Bird Count is a wonderful way to get your feet wet, feel the warmth of the community, and start to realize the wonders in your own neighborhood. The tools and resources are free. And you are helping birds when you get involved." |
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Why it is important to participate?
The Passenger Pigeon
and Northern Cardinal
"The world’s most abundant bird, the Passenger Pigeon, went extinct, and people didn’t realize how quickly it was vanishing until it was too late. Monitoring birds is essential to help protect them, but tracking the health of the world’s 10,000 bird species is an immense challenge." (The Cornell Lab, 7. Watch Birds, Share What You See)
"One of America’s earliest field guides asserted in 1903 that southern New York was as far as they had spread to the northeast. The first cardinal to be found nesting in Connecticut occurred in 1943, and by 1958 the species was discovered nesting in Massachusetts. It has now stretched its limits into maritime Canada." (Bangor Daily News, September 21, 2012)
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"Birds tell us how our environment and climate are changing," said Chad Wilsey, chief scientist at the National Audubon Society. "By joining the Great Backyard Bird Count, participants can contribute valuable data that help scientists better understand our surroundings. Together we can use this information to better protect birds and the places they need." |
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After you submit your data, consider donating your notes.
The Hartford Audubon Society Collection includes early records such as their membership lists, field meeting notes, notation of bird sightings, minutes of the meetings of the Society, Newsletters, etc., all of which are important research documents. Also included in this collection are the journals of Walter Charsky, (a member of Hartford Audubon Society) as he recorded them from 1926-1997. |
| Image is of some of the journals of Walter Charsky Hartford Audubon Society's collection.
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Busy that Weekend?
You can still enjoy birding in February by participating in the third of four morning walks designed for beginners at Hartford Audubon’s oldest sanctuary. Station 43, located in the South Windsor meadows, just off Main Street. It is an excellent birding area year ‘round. The walk is roughly 2.5 miles (3 hours) long over flat terrain but birders may encounter areas with water/ice covering parts of the path. Details about the 3rd Beginner's Bird Walk on February 26, 2022 at 8 am are available on both the HAS and our website.
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Thank You to Gary Pitcock and Annette Pasek
for inspiring this Musing and helping us to fulfill our mission of bringing nature alive!
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Please forward this email to anyone who might be interested. |
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