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See the birdie? Grab your binoculars!

The Great Backyard Bird Count is under way

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED FEB 12, 2021

Whether you count yellow-billed magpies in the local park (there are at least 18 in the photo, including some in the shade) or hummingbirds in the garden, you can be part of the Great Backyard Bird Count this weekend. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)

Here’s a way to help nature and entertain your kids – and you don’t even have to leave your backyard!

It’s the Great Backyard Bird Count, an exercise in citizen science that keeps tabs on our feathered friends.

Held from Feb. 12 through 15, this avian census relies on the sharp eyes of volunteers nationwide.

Co-hosted by the Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the GBBC is open to birdwatchers of all ages and abilities nationwide. And it’s free to participate.

The challenge is simple: Count how many birds you see during a 15-minute period (or more) during the four-day event in a specific space, such as your backyard. You also can count birds in a neighborhood park, along a stream or river, or wherever you like. The key: Document what you see including the bird species as well as number.

Handy tools are offered online to help with identification, such as Merlin Bird ID. (It can ID most of your sightings with three easy questions.) Also, take photos to help with that ID process (and to document your observation – experienced bird watchers will review your findings).

Then, submit your list of birds to the GBBC using the eBird tool (also available online).

Last year’s GBBC (before pandemic lockdowns) set all sorts of records. According to organizers, a total of 6,942 species were counted worldwide. In all, 249,444 checklists were submitted by an estimated 268,674 participants.

The most common sighting? That was the Northern Cardinal, with its familiar color and distinctive head. In terms of population, snow geese topped the charts with nearly 7.2 million included in this census.

With 13,331 checklists (a new state record), California topped all participating states in 2020 followed by New York, Texas and Florida. Many of those California lists came from the greater Sacramento area, always a hotbed of birding. (Hint: American crows are among our most frequently sighted birds.)

Organizers note that the GBBC is an ideal and safe activity during COVID-19 restrictions. Social distancing and face masks are encouraged if watching with others.

To participate or learn more: https://www.birdcount.org/

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gardens magpies gardening hummingbirds Sacramento birds February bird count wildlife parks California

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Garden Checklist for week of April 21

This week there’s plenty to keep gardeners busy. With no rain in the immediate forecast, remember to irrigate any new transplants.

* Weed, weed, weed! Get them before they flower and go to seed.

* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.

* Smell orange blossoms? Feed citrus trees with a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants.

* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.

* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.

* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Feed shrubs and trees with a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.

* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.

* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.

* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.

* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, radishes and squash.

* Plant onion sets.

* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias.

* Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.

* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom.

* Mid to late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce seedlings. Choose varieties that mature quickly such as loose leaf.

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