I Count

I count…do you? The next time your self-esteem is floundering a bit, and you feel as if you are just a fly-spec on the speeding windshield of life…try counting. The Great Backyard Bird Count (held this year, February 13th – 16th 2009) sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon, offers Joe-six packs and experts alike, the opportunity to be judged by the same yardstick.

Why should anyone count birds? According to the GBBC’s own (official) website: “Scientists and bird enthusiasts can learn a lot by knowing where the birds are. Bird populations are dynamic; they are constantly in flux. No single scientist or team of scientists could hope to document the complex distribution and movements of so many species in such a short time.” It takes no expertice what so ever to count birds seen in your back yard. If you don't recognize what that LBB (Little Brown Bird) is, then just don't count it. Count the ones you know because everything matters from the American Robin, to the common House Sparrow. Just sit, enjoy a cup of your favorite beverage and mark down what you see. So what better way to spend your Valentine’s Day than to sit staring out the window of your own backyard, holding the hand of a loved one, counting the beautiful red Northern cardinals that find your feeder enticing enough to land. How Romantic eh? ...Yah, romantic, you betcha! (and just in case that doesn't work for you and your S.O. try candy and flowers...)