[All] Fw: GBBC February eNewsletter

Mon Feb 6 15:31:09 EST 2012

Hi folks

The Backyard Bird count is scheduled to take place on February 17th to 20th. It's easy as pie. My family has been doing this for years and it's fun to do.

All you do is find a location and take note of the birds you see in your area. Observation times can be as short as couple of minutes or as long as you like. All you have to do is submit your observations online at www.birdcount.org. 

If you have a guide book of birds, it's handy to reference but if you don't there are many in the library that can help as well as great online reference sites such as Whatbird.com which lets you ID birds using color, shape. sounds etc.  http://identify.whatbird.com/mwg/_/0/attrs.aspx. 

Here is a link to a handy online check list of birds specific to your area to help make the task easier. Just submit your postal code to get the list at this link: http://gbbc.birdsource.org/gbbcApps/input

This data is being gathered by Cornell Ornithology in partnership with Bird Studies Canada to monitor overall bird population and distribution throughout North America.  

Below is an email with more info if your interested. The more eyes watching the better the data. 

Lulu :0)

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Great Backyard Bird Count <gbbc at cornell.edu>
To: butterflybluelu at rogers.com 
Sent: Monday, February 6, 2012 1:41:12 PM
Subject: GBBC February eNewsletter

GBBC February eNewsletter  
In this issue: prizes for this year's drawing, a chance to help build a bird ID tool, and a new way to show checklists coming in during the GBBC.
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GBBC eNewsletter
February 2012  
White-crowned Sparrow by Michael Cervantes, Minnesota, 2011 GBBC

Checklists Will Light Up the Map
During this year's Great Backyard  Bird Count, February 17-20, you’re going to see something new in the corner of the website home page where the map is located. As each checklist is entered online, it will show up as a bright dot on the map. As the tens of thousands of reports come in, the map should light up like mini-fireworks! You’ll be able to click on the map to make it larger so you get the full impact of all those bird watchers reporting their tallies. Watch for it!  
Goodies for Participants
Anyone who submits at least one checklist for the GBBC is eligible for our prize drawings. We’ve got another batch of great gifts this year, donated by Wild Birds Unlimited, Droll Yankees, Audubon, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and others. Take a look at our GBBC prize page to see what you could win!  
Here's lookiin' at YOU kid. Tufted Titmouse by GBBC participant Melissa Penta, New York

Document & Share Your Count
Winter is a great time for bird photographers – there are fewer leaves on the trees, and hungry birds flock to eat seed and suet from backyard feeders. During the count you can take photos and submit them online at www.birdcount.org. As long as your photo was taken during the count (February 17 – 20), your photo will be eligible for our photo contest. Some of your very best photos will be posted on the GBBC website during and after the count – and don’t think we are only interested in bird photos, some of the most interesting photos every year are of the birders themselves!  Be sure to check out photo galleries from previous years. So, get ready for the count, and don’t forget your camera!

Looking for inspiration? Download Audubon Magazine’s photo contest screensaver.

Build  a New Bird ID Tool
We'll have something new on the GBBC kids’ page for everyone to try. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is developing an interactive online bird ID tool called “Merlin.” You can brush up on your bird observational skills and help to make Merlin smarter at the same time. Try this new exercise called Mark My Bird. You’ll answer 18 questions about a species, marking body parts and describing colors and patterns. Do it often as you like to help build this futuristic ID tool!    On the go and in need of bird ID help?
Be sure to check out the Audubon Birds app. It’s full of great photos, sound recordings, range maps, and even tools to help you track your sightings. You can even browse sightings of rare and common birds near your location using the new Find Birds with eBird feature! 
Making a friend. Photo by GBBC participant Donna Salko, Pennsylvania
Your GBBC Stories
Please take a moment after the GBBC to tell us about special experiences you may have had--whether it was sharing bird-watching quality time with a grandchild, spotting a species you've never seen before, or anything else that made participation meaningful to you. We'll share a selection of these stories on the GBBC website after the count. You can send a short paragraph (and photos, if you have them) to any of the following:

Audubon:
citizenscience at audubon.org

Bird Studies Canada:
gbbc at birdscanada.org

Cornell Lab of Ornithology:
gbbc at cornell.edu 
Visit Wild Birds Unlimited, a sponsor of the Great Backyard Bird Count!  
Keep up with us on Facebook and join the flock!  
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
Call toll-free (800) 843-2473

National Audubon Society   
225 Varick Street
New York, NY 10014
Call: (202) 600-7962

Bird Studies Canada
Box 160
Port Rowan, ON N0E 1M0 Canada
Call: (888) 448-2473 or (519) 586-3531    
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a nonprofit membership institution interpreting and conserving the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. Visit the Cornell Lab’s website at www.birds.cornell.edu. 
Audubon is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports them. Our national network of community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in conservation. www.audubon.org
Bird Studies Canada administers regional, national, and international research and monitoring programs that advance the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of wild birds and their habitats. We are Canada's national body for bird conservation and science, and we are a non-governmental charitable organization. www.birdscanada.org  
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