Join in the 2016 Great Backyard Bird Count

Coopers hawk with prey Raptor photo taken by Susan Silk in Sunset Beach, NC.

Coopers hawk with prey
Raptor photo taken by Susan Silk in Sunset Beach, NC.

The Museum of Coastal Carolina presents a workshop at 11 am on Feb. 13 aimed at getting you excited about and involved in the 2016 Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). This year, the GBBC takes place from Feb. 12-15. All you have to do is spend 15 minutes identifying and counting birds in your own back yard (or anywhere you choose) on one or more days of the event. Can’t tell the difference between a House Finch and a House Sparrow? That’s where the workshop comes in. Sunset Beach resident and avid birder Kurt Hugelmeyer will tell you what birds you are likely to see in this area, show you how to identify different bird species, and explain how to count birds for the GBBC and report your results. He may even share with you some of his favorite local birding spots. In addition, the museum gift shop sells bird identification reference books.

The GBBC is held annually in Feb. and is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society with Canadian partner Bird Studies Canada. Last year, more than 140,000 people participated in the GBBC from over 100 countries. According to the Audubon Society, this was the most detailed snapshot of global bird populations ever undertaken. Here is the Top Ten list from the 2015 GBBC, listed in descending order: Northern Cardinal, Dark-eyed Junco, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Goldfinch, House Finch, Tufted Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadee, and House Sparrow.

The Museum of Coastal Carolina is located at 21 East Second Street, Ocean Isle Beach, NC. The museum is open from 10-3 on Friday and Saturday.  Admission to the museum is free for members. Non-member all-day admission (including NC sales tax) is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors (62+), $7 for children (3-12), and free for age 2 and under. For more information, call 910-579-1016 or visit www.MuseumPlanetarium.org.

 

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