Clearwater will join the world for the Great Backyard Bird Count as the GBBC goes global this year in a joint effort with eBird. Online submitters will need to register a free account on eBird.

Unlike last year, location must be fairly precise (address, GPS), but you can still include walks or hikes.

It only takes 15 minutes (not necessarily all at one time) in a day to count the birds in your yard, or elsewhere, to get one checklist. Count all four days to have four checklists. More than one 15 minute checklist per location is allowed this year, so you could do a.m. and p.m. lists.

An abbreviated checklist for the area is available at the library. It’s fairly easy to submit your checklist(s) at www.birdcount.org Cornell University’s website which has information on how to count and years of data to peruse.

No Internet access? Phone Hoo Ping Crane at 250-674-2518 for details on how to count and later to submit your checklist(s).

Your participation as a Citizen Scientist in the GBBC is one piece of the puzzle that helps scientists get the big picture about changes in bird populations. Presently, a snowy owl irruption (incursion of birds that don’t normally winter in the area) is once again occurring, after having one last year, though they‚Äôre unlikely to be seen in our area. Some robins are still being sighted.

So how about getting out, or relaxing inside, and counting some birds?