As journalists, we can tell you that first-hand accounts are the gold standard when it comes to making sense of any situation, and an organization who loves birds needs our help with first-hand accounts of birds living right here in Lynchburg.

It’s hosted each year by the National Audubon Society and Cornell University, and it helps wildlife experts learn more about how birds are doing, and how to protect them and the environment we share. The weekend marks the annual Great Backyard Bird County across the United States and the world.

Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) exists as the first-of-its-kind online participatory project or community science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real time.

Participating is easy. Decide where you want to watch birds and then watch for a minimum of 15 minutes at least once over the four-day period from February 14-17. Then, identify those birds for reporting’s sake. If you are new to birdwatching, you can use the Merlin Bird ID app to help. If you already use the eBird Mobile app, you can also use it or you can enter your sightings on a computer after taking a hike or walk.

You can enter bird lists from anywhere in the world now through March 1, but your list should only contain birds seen during the four days of the Great Backyard Bird Count.

There’s no need to register or sign up separately. For more information, check out their website, birdcount.org. They even have a printable checklist to make things easier. Happy hunting! •

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