Prepping for the Great Backyard Bird Count
WARNING: Bird Watching May Be Habit Forming!
This weekend (Friday, February 18th through Monday, February 21st) is the Great Backyard Bird Count created by Cornell Labs. They’re celebrating 25 years of birding. Cornell Labs is asking everyone to participate by going outside for at least 15 minutes and looking for birds, identifying them. counting them and reporting what we see on eBird.org. When you enter at least one 15-minute checklist of birds you see, you’ll be entered to win a pair of birding binoculars.
What do you need to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count? I’d recommend a set of binoculars or a telephoto lens, or just good observation skills. Most of all, I’d recommend downloading the Merlin app!
Download the Merlin Bird Identification App
If you’re not a birder and aren’t sure what birds you’re seeing or hearing, there’s a really cool FREE app Cornell Lab created called Merlin that you can get on your phone. You can turn the app on and record a few minutes of birdsong outside and it will tell you what birds you’re hearing. You can also upload photos you take for an identification. Or you can give Merlin some details like location, habitat, size of bird, colors and get some possible matches for the birds you see.
I have used the description function for the last couple weeks but just started using the sound portion today. It’s rather addictive, and it’s helping me start to recognize birdsongs. I still get confused, but this is giving me the desire to learn the birds’ songs to better pinpoint which birds I’m seeing and which birds I want to look for and photograph.
This morning, I went out to gather some mullein and plantain for my Mullein, Plantain, Elderberry tea. There were a lot of birds singing, so I turned on the Merlin app and set it to record the sounds. I was amazed at what it discovered!
I was so excited by the number and types of birds Merlin identified that I dropped what I had planned to do and went birding for an hour!
I also got in my head that today (Thursday) was part of the Great Backyard Bird Count. I was out there enjoying the gorgeous morning, photographing birds, until Dave reminded me that the Backyard Bird Count didn’t start til Friday!
Oh well! My treat for the morning was spotting a flock of 27 sandhill cranes! Sandhill cranes are Dave’s favorite birds. He pointed them out to me. He guessed there were 22 of them on the spot. When I pulled up the photos I took, it looks like there were 27. Not bad for a quick count on his part! He’s much better at sight-identifying and counting birds than I am. But, I’m learning! This will be a fun weekend!
Sandhill Crane Symbolism: Sandhill cranes symbolize abundance and longevity. How’s that for a fun message for the day?!
