Backyard Bird Count Day #1 - report

Not all of the reports are in yet for the first day of The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), but by the end of the first day (a *day* is measured by E.S.T) there were about 30,000 checklists reported in! 
The ~snap below is with about 15 minutes left to go in the first *day* of reporting...

...and *here* (below) is a good start to the second *day* of reporting!
54 seconds in to *Day* 2...

As you can see, now, people from all over the world participate! Last year over 160,000 people in over 130 countries participated.

There are still THREE (3) days left to go, and you can participate in as little as 15 minutes!

For more information on how to participate, check out the Getting Started page. You'll find a link for setting up a reporting page, access to birding tips and techniques, bird identification (including audio, because sometimes you don't see the birds! ; ) ...
... there's a Photo Contest... 
 
AND,  you get to be a citizen scientist!
 

...contributing meaningful data

with thousands of others

to better understand our world... 

Personal Notes: Today we had very limited time, so participated for about an hour.
We saw 9 species: Great Blue Heron, Red-tailed Hawk, Steller's Jay, Robin, Mourning Dove, Bewick's Wren, Back-capped Chickadee, Crow, and Red-winged Blackbird.
We'll load a data collection sheet that we like to use, which you can copy or use for ideas to make your own   ; )
We'll post some pics and/or vid tomorrow!

Bird Silhouette Identification Sheets

Many birds have unique silhouettes that are unique enough to identify them to their basic types (and some to species!).
The following images can be used to help identify many birds by their general shape (making it easier to narrow down what you are looking at) and when you can't see them clearly enough to get detailed impressions.

There are a lot of clues you can use to help you identify the bird(s) you're looking at:
> silhouette/ general shape of bird to narrow down what you are looking at. 
> about how big is the bird? (comparison sizes can help too!) 
> is the bird alone? a pair? in a group?
> what is the bird doing?
> are there any features that really stand out?
>> color(s)         >> beak- beak shape tells you how the bird eats
>> neck/ head shape         >> feet shape- perching? swimming?
> location - use local bird guide or the bird maps in books to see what birds are most similar in the region you are seeing the bird.
> habitat type? woods? shoreline? prairie? 
> season and time of day are also important. some birds are migratory and only live in certain areas at particular times of the year and some birds are only active (or doing certain activities) at particular times of the day.

To copy image, right click and "save image as" on to your computer, then you can print it out for use while birding! (i've had these images for a looong time and have no idea what the sources are, if anyone recognizes any of these pages please let me know!)

Not all of the birds on the silhouette pages are found throughout all of North America (for now i'm focusing on North American birds).

This first silhouette is of perching and standing birds birds...

These birds are ones commonly seen perching on lines...

This page is of birds in flight.

The following two pages are birds commonly found in or near water...

These birds (and one mammal) are often see during the twilight of dusk and dawn...

The following birds tend to be seen in western North America...

I hope these pages are helpful!
We'll be posting some of our bird sightings over the next few days *and* posting more birding tips!

Happy birding! 
(it's amazing how many are out there just waiting for you!)

Participate!!! Great Backyard Bird Count 2017! (20th annual GBBC)

The Great Backyard Bird Count is a science event that everyone can participate in... even from a chair looking out your window!

(the video below was taken from my deck, beware the door squeak!)

Great Blue Heron in Cedar Tree 

When? From Friday, Feb. 17, to Monday, Feb. 20, 2017, for as little as 15 minutes at a time OR as long as you want over the 4 day event.

Where? Wherever you are! From looking out your window to trekking through the woods, across a prairie, sitting in your car at park/ riverside... or wherever you are...

Why? To help understand bird populations (and, really, our world) better!

How? Go to GBBC 2017 and sign up to report your bird sightings! It's *even* easier than it sounds (check back here too, Quest will be posting some bird silhouette identification pages that will help to make identification easier for some birders and more info on birding/ participation).  We suggest that you register a.s.a.p. and review the entry form, that way you have a better idea of what to watch for! (it's good to note day, time, weather, etc.)

"The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a free, fun, and easy event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. Participants are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the four-day event and report their sightings online at birdcount.org. Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from beginning bird watchers to experts, and you can participate from your backyard, or anywhere in the world.

Each checklist submitted during the GBBC helps researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society learn more about how birds are doing, and how to protect them and the environment we share. Last year, more than 160,000 participants submitted their bird observations online, creating the largest instantaneous snapshot of global bird populations ever recorded.

The 20th annual GBBC will be held Friday, February 17, through Monday, February 20, 2017. Please visit the official website at birdcount.org for more information and be sure to check out the latest educational and promotional resources."

Great Backyard Bird Count 2016! (the basics!)

The Great Backyard Bird Count starts today! (Feb. 12-15)

"We invite you to participate! Simply tally the numbers and kinds of birds you see for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count, February 12-15, 2016. You can count from any location, anywhere in the world, for as long as you wish!"

Begun in 1998, by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, they share birding data in near-real-time online!
Throughout the count, you can check out what others are seeing locally and around the world. New this year! you can add images and audio to your bird checklist. Read more.

This is an assortment of birds, flocking in snags of cedars.

 Their site even provides simple, straight-forward online identification information and links to birding apps!