MANISTIQUE, Mich. (WZMQ) – February 14 – 17, birdwatchers of the world will look to the trees and the sky for the Great Backyard Bird Count.
“It’s an international event that happens every year in February,” said Ashley Reitter, Manager of the Schoolcraft Conservation District. “It’s something as simple as you can do it yourself in your own backyard. You only have to watch birds for 15 minutes, so it’s pretty short. Then, if you go on birdcount.org you can log your birds, and then your information will go in with everybody else’s across the globe.”
While the Great Backyard Bird Count can be done anywhere, the public is invited to join the Conservation District’s count along the trails at the Environmental Education Lab on Friday at 2 p.m.
“We’re going to be doing a guided hike, helping people look for birds, and teaching people how to ID them,” Reitter said. “I think especially if you’re just learning how to identify birds, winter can be a really great time to look for them because if you look around, there’s no leaves on the trees, so it’s a lot easier to see the birds sometimes.”
Although cold temperatures and snow may not seem the ideal conditions for birdwatching, Reitter says there are plenty of birds to be found.
“Here, there’s a lot of variety, which I think is really nice,” she said. “We get all the kinds of woodpeckers—downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, pileated, even red-bellied. Usually, they all have red on them somewhere, so they’re a little easier to find. Sometimes we’ll get crossbills in the winter and snowy owls. People in Delta and Schoolcraft counties have been seeing a northern shrike a couple times this year, which is pretty exciting.”
The Great Backyard Bird Count provides updated information on bird populations and their patterns. It also helps participants get in touch with nature.
“It’s a good way to encourage people to get outdoors in the winter months—or any time of the year—and connect with the world around them,” Reitter said. “I think that’s something we all need to do a little bit more. That’s what I like so much about bird watching.”
For more information on the Great Backyard Bird Count, visit birdcount.org.
Manistique’s Environmental Education Lab is located at 600 Krummich Road, and additional details about the event are available on the Schoolcraft Conservation District Facebook page.
