The GBBC 2010 ~ How did YOU do?

Reporting your findings when it really counts...

No, the GBBC is certainly not the Greater Boston Business Council (http://www.gbbc.org) A Boston based organization to help the bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgendered business community, with more than 1,000 working professionals.  However noble that goal and organization may be, it is totally unrelated to the subject of this particular BS blog.  This little slice of Birdstudian poundcake is dedicated to satiating the hunger of those who value citizen science reporting.  You see it's one thing to perform your due dilligence and "watch" the birdie, and another to remember to "share" your observations with the entire birding world.  Whether you feel confident that you are "worthy" of posting what you "thought" you saw, you truly ought to give it a try and follow-up with your very own report. 

By the way...you have until March 1, 2010 to do so...HERE  just as I did below...

The Devereaux Yard

This first list above was observed in the backyard of the house on Saturday over the period of 8 hours of casual (look out the window every-so-often) viewing.  I would observe a particular species and make a maximum count.  What eventually was reported to the GBBC website, was the maximum amount of that particular species I had seen over that 8-hour time period.  I decided to also sneek away for a little more than an hour to one of my favorite birding areas in the City of Milwaukee; the State forest at Havenwoods.  I pulled on the big Sorel boots and trudged through the snow.  Here's that final submitted count as well...(below)

The highlight of that little side-jaunt was the approximately 250 Starlings that decided to "electrify" me with their presence in a high-tension power tower.

I will be blogging more about this particular Havenwoods trip in a near-future blog so stay tuned...In the meantime, I also counted the next day just for kicks in the back yard once more.  The weather for the three counts was magnificent and sunny as I spent as much time outdoors as possible.  Here is that final submitted count:

So, in short I hope that you (fellow birder) also had the great fortune to observe during this past GBBC of 2010, and furthermore that you had the confidence to log on and report your totals. 

Remember: Every Little Bird bit helps, when it comes to science...make yours "count" too.

Thanks for reading!

Birdstud

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...)