HOLLAND, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) — The 24th annual Great Backyard Bird Count is this weekend, February 12 through February 15.
One of the most pandemic-friendly activities has to be birdwatching — it’s outside, though you can watch the birds from a window in the warmth of home or office — and, you’re focused on nature.
Bird count organizers are encouraging everyone, from budding birdwatchers to veteran birders — to take some notes and maybe a photo or two, says Zeeland bird watcher Jan Meeuwsen. (Listen to the full interview.)
“They only ask you to sit and count birds twice during that four-day period, 15 to 20 minutes at a time,” she said. “When you sign up, they’ll give you a little cheat sheet, what birds you’re likely to see, so you can kind of go back to those pictures. And, honestly, if you don’t know what a bird (species) is, just kind of describe it: “brown head, white streaks.” That’s fine. They understand.”
The Great Backyard Bird Count website, birdcount.org, has a place to register, get birdwatching tips, download a helpful birdwatching app, and see what other birdwatchers from around the world see, in real time.
