We finally got some cold weather and I have been enjoying watching (from the warmth of my kitchen window) the birds coming to my bird feeder. Today I saw a hairy woodpecker, blue bird, tufted titmouse and a chickadee. I’m constantly on the lookout for a great blue heron that likes to terrorize my koi and gold fish!  I spotted a Cooper hawk the other day and have noticed several black vultures around. I’ve been “practicing” identifying birds in preparation for the Great Backyard Bird Count.

Heron stalking my fish!

Each year thousands of people across the country count birds during the four-day nationwide bird count. This fun and free event will be held this year from Friday, February 17 – Monday, February 20. The best part – you don’t have to go anywhere to participate. Your backyard is the perfect place to count birds. Or, you can go to a local park, school yard, nature preserve – any where you can find birds. The purpose of the count is to encourage people to become more interested in birds and to help researchers determine the winter movements of birds across our country during one specific time-frame.

Beginners are welcome and families are encouraged to take this opportunity to get their kids outside to appreciate nature and learn more about our feathered friends. You can commit as little as 15 minutes on one day or you can choose to count on one, two, three or all four days for as long as you like. You can download from the Great Backyard Bird Count website a Regional Bird Checklist that details what birds you will find in our area and a Data Form with instructions on what to do and to help you keep track of the birds you are counting.

Northern Cardinal

Tufted Titmouse

Here is a list of the top ten birds most frequently reported during the 2011 count: Northern Cardinal, Mourning Dove, Dark-eyed Junco, Downy Woodpecker, American Gold Finch, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, House Finch and Tufted Titmouse. Most of these birds can be spotted in Georgia. So, dust off those binoculars and get ready to count birds!