Birthplace of bird study hoping Pa. will be tops
Websites, species guides helpwith annual avian census — Audubon Society’s 19th annual Great Backyard Bird Count
AUDUBON >> John James Audubon’s lifelong interest in birds was born and fostered at the Mill Grove mansion in the hamlet which now bears his name.
It was there he conducted the world’s first bird banding experiment, discovering that Eastern Phoebes return to the same nesting sites each year.
So it is entirely appropriate that the Audubon Society’s 19th annual Great Backyard Bird Count — which begins, Friday and lasts through Monday — is being coordinated in this area from the very grounds where Audubon did his first work.
“I like to say that the birds we see here at Mill Grove every day are the descendants of the birds Audubon was studying,” said Steven Saffier, director and program manager for Audubon Pennsylvania.
Two of the best things about participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count, said Saffier, are that “you don’t even need to leave your house to get involved,” and the county provides valuable data to help with the study of North American birds.
The count is conducted with the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, which uses the data to track bird populations and monitor trends.
The effort is now using modern technology to make it easier for bird counters, and the scientists at Cornell, to log findings and follow-up on unusual sightings.
“If Cornell sees a log sheet that says you saw a California condor on Conshohocken, they’ll definitely be getting back to you,” Saffier said with a laugh.
To participate, all you need to is create a free account on the website created specifically for Pennsylvania residents — pa.audubon.org/pa-counts — which houses a downloadable poster with likenesses of the birds most likely to be spotted in these parts.
The site also has tips on what to fill your feeders with, as well as helpful links to ask experts about something you’ve seen.
“The count a great way for a beginner to get started, because not only are they helping science better understand birds, chances are they already know half the birds they’ll see anyway,” Saffier said.
“I mean everybody knows what a cardinal, a blue jay or a robin look like,” he said.
“And don’t just count the birds at your feeder. If an eagle or a flock of snow geese fly over your yard, count them too,” said Saffier.
Some might also like to know there are some bragging rights at stake.
“Pennsylvania is a real birding hub and we are consistently in the top four in the nation for the bird count,” said Saffier.
Last year, the effort resulted in more than 140,000 bird observations, including more than 7,000 from Pennsylvania.
“We were only 1,300 behind the top state in the country, California, which is pretty amazing when you consider how much bigger California is and how many more habitats it has,” Saffier said.
“Pennsylvania is on a real push this year and last month some of our chapters held workshops in ‘ bird towns,’” which include Abington, Upper Dublin, Ambler and Radnor.
“We’re expecting some big numbers out of Pennsylvania this year,” said Saffier, who paused for a moment and said “we really want to beat California.” Online: For links to sign up for the Great Backyard Bird Count and a photo gallery of birds youmight see and a poster of common birds, visit our web site at pottsmerc.com
“We’re expecting some big numbers out of Pennsylvania this year. We really want to beat California.” Steven Saffier, director of Audubon Pennsylvania “You don’t even need to leave your house to get involved.” Steven Saffier, director of Audubon Pennsylvania