Audubon bird count trips planned for Feb. 16-17

Flathead Audubon’s Great Backyard Bird Count is set for Feb. 16 and 17 as a way for bird watching enthusiasts of all ages to go on half-day trips geared to families who want to get out and see birds together.

The Great Backyard Bird Count takes place from Feb. 15 to 18 as an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are.

Everyone is welcome – from beginning bird watchers to experts. Participants can take as little as 15 minutes on one day, or count for as long as they like each day of the event.

The GBBC is free, fun and easy – and it helps the birds. Participants tally the number of individual birds of each species they see and enter these numbers on the GBBC website.

As the count progresses anyone with Internet access can explore what is being reported from their own towns or from anywhere in the world.

Participants may also send in photographs of the birds they see for the GBBC photo contest. A selection of images is posted in the online photo gallery.

Scientists and bird enthusiasts learn a lot by knowing where the birds are and no single scientist or team of scientists could hope to document and understand the complex distribution and movements of so many species in such a short time.

Scientists use the GBBC information, along with observations from other citizen-science projects, such as the Christmas Bird Count, Project FeederWatch and eBird, to learn what is happening to bird populations and to help investigate far-reaching questions.

To participate and for more information, go to http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/whycount.html.

Field trip leaders will each have a spotting scope available and provide copies of Great Backyard Bird Count forms on each field trip.

Participants should bring binoculars, snacks and warm clothes and plan to carpool as much as possible. Sign up early, space is limited.

The Swan River/Bigfork Trip: Saturday, Feb. 16

Meet at 9 a.m. at the Swan River Hall on Highway 83 across from Swan River School and the Echo Lake Café to see birds in the Bigfork and Swan River area. To sign up and for more information, contact trip leader Kathy Ross at 837-3837 or mtkat@montanaport.net.

The Flathead Valley Trip: Sunday, Feb. 17

Meet at 9 a.m. at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 490 N. Meridian Rd., Kalispell to tour the best winter birding areas in the Flathead.

Extra binoculars will be available.

To sign up and for more information, contact trip leader Bob Lee at 270-0371 or rml3@centu rytel.net.