Volunteer birdwatchers of all ages can take part in four-day census
A California scrub jay visits a Carmichael backyard. California last year submitted the most bird lists during the Great Backyard Bird Count, which runs Feb. 16-19 this year. Kathy Morrison
This weekend, grab some binoculars and participate in one of the world’s largest citizen science projects. All it takes is 15 minutes in your own backyard or neighborhood park. And the whole family can get involved.
It’s the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), a four-day snapshot of avian diversity that’s become a worldwide phenomenon. More than 555,000 birders participated in 2023 with expectations of even more this weekend.
Held over the long Presidents’ Day Weekend (Feb. 16 through 19), volunteers of all ages and abilities take part in this census of our feathered friends. Because its emphasis is on backyards and neighborhoods, the count helps build awareness of our suburban wildlife while serving as a measurement of bird diversity since 1998.
To get you started, the organizers are hosting a free webinar via YouTube at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13. “Panelists will explain how to participate in this exciting global event and how participation might extend past your back door,” say the hosts. “Discover how to join a group taking part in the GBBC and explore fun ways to involve kids. From bird ID tips to counting birds with ease, this webinar is your ticket to an engaging and confident GBBC experience.”
Sign up for it here: https://www.birdcount.org/
Co-hosted by the Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the GBBC is open to birdwatchers anywhere. 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).
A source of fun and fascination during the COVID lockdown, the bird count has continued to grow.
In 2023, nearly 335,000 checklists were submitted from 202 countries, including 236,904 in the United States. That’s a 34% increase from pre-pandemic 2020.
In the U.S., California submitted the most checklists – 21,585, nearly a 7% increase from 2022.
With more eyes came more diversity of birds. Worldwide, 7,732 bird species – about two-thirds of the planet’s known species – were observed and 7,538 were verified, about 800 more than 2020.
U.S. participants recorded 674 species in 2023. California birders spotted 389 species, the most of any state.
In Sacramento, 660 checklists recorded 170 species, topped by the western screech owl. (Crows, of course, were also very common as well as blackbirds.) Sacramento even had a confirmed bald eagle sighting at the Kiefer landfill.
In the U.S., the birds appearing on the most checklists were distinctive species that are easy to spot (and tend to love bird feeders): Northern cardinal, house finch and dark-eyed junco.
GBBC isn’t limited to home landscapes. Locally, birders reported 70 species along the American River Parkway, one of several local hot spots.
To participate or learn more: https://www.birdcount.org/
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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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