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Indulge your interest in birds: Join Project FeederWatch
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Mourning doves gather at a hopper and platform
feeder in winter
If your gardening chores are winding down but you're still missing the great outdoors, get your fix while contributing to science by signing up for Project Feederwatch. The purpose of the FeederWatch program is to gather data from thousands of amateur citizen naturalists all over the country to track the broadscale movement of winter bird populations and long-term trends in the variety and number of birds. Volunteers count the birds that appear at food sources they provide, such as a feeder, on two consecutive days from November through April. Counts can be submitted all winter long, but no more frequently than every five days. By counting the largest number of birds of each species to visit at any one time, volunteers avoid counting a bird twice. Data can be submitted online or on paper forms provided by Project Feederwatch. Counting feeder birds is not a time consuming activity unless you want it to be. Many people count for just 15 minutes before work for a couple of days here and there. For accuracy in reporting, you should be able to identify the most common birds in your area and have access to some bird ID sources for birds you're not familiar with or are unsure of. The cost to participate is just $15, which also gives you access to the online database of reports by other bird watchers. Data entry for this year's count begins November 1. You can sign up to participate in Project Feederwatch by clicking here.
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