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| Great Backyard Bird Count |
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Photo by Anna Murphey/New Jersey Herald
The northern cardinal was the top bird sighted last year during the Great Backyard Bird Count. Above, a female cardinal visits a local bird feeder.
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By KATHY STEVENS
kstevens@njherald.com
Last year, the top bird counted in the nation during the Great Backyard Bird Count was the northern cardinal, with 43,956 sightings reported, according to the National Audubon Society.
Although the cardinal most likely will be among the feathered folk spotted at backyard bird feeders during the official count next weekend, Feb. 13-16, birders are being treated this year to an unusual number of pine siskins in our area. The pine siskin is a migratory bird that can be tough to find in most winters, said Alan Boyd, a member of the Sussex County Bird Club. The small finch has two buff wingbars and is yellow at the base of its flight feathers.
New and veteran participants are asked to count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count. Submission forms and the full rules can be found at http://www.birdsource.-org/gbbc/, a Web site filled with information on birds and the bird count. It even contains a separate link for kids with pictures of some common birds that might be sighted.
And, have your camera ready. You can upload photos that you take of birds onto the Great Backyard Bird Count Web site through March 1.
Why count birds? Scientists can learn a lot by knowing where the birds are, according to the Audubon Society. Counts can help track bird migration and the effects of weather and disease on bird populations. New Jersey ranked in the top 10 of states reporting birds for the 2008 count.
Boyd says that a good variety of bird food is the best way to attract an abundance of birds to your yard. Finches and siskins like thistle seed; suet attracts woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice and nuthatches; sunflower seed in hanging feeders attracts a variety of species; and mixed seed on the ground brings in ground feeders such as white-throated sparrows, juncos and mourning doves. The snow should be cleared from the ground-feeding area, he said.
“Although it may take away some of the fun for observers, it is generally best if feeders are kept a fair distance from the house. When a predator approaches, panicking birds will often collide with windows if they see a reflection of trees or other cover in them,” he said.
If you are just spying on your backyard for birds, you don’t necessarily need binoculars, said Donna Traylor, a member of both the Sussex County Bird Club and the Montclair Bird Club.
Birds can be counted if seen or heard, she said, noting her most unusual sighting in her yard was an American Bittern, a marsh bird not usually in the area. She also has a record of hearing a saw whet owl, a small owl that is not common in New Jersey.
Don’t know the difference between a sparrow and a chickadee? A bird book, even one that is borrowed from the local library, will come in handy in helping you identify the birds in your yard.
The Great Backyard Bird Count Web site also contains a bird guide and advice for bird watchers, including the types of books and equipment that can help identify species.
Traylor, who has counted 144 different species of birds in her yard, also advised checking the New Jersey Audubon Society Web site, www.audubon.org, for tips about birds and birding.
Created: 2/8/2009 | Updated: 2/26/2009
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