The Great Backyard Bird Count

Friday – Monday, February 16-19, 2024 • All Over the World

With a friend or one your own, watching one bird or counting hundreds, join a worldwide community-science and conservation project! All you have to do is observe for 15 minutes and submit your observation(s). Here are few details from https://www.birdcount.org/participate/ :

Step 1 – Decide where you will watch birds. [Suggestion: at the Museum on Saturday!]

Step 2 – Watch birds for 15 minutes or more, at least once over the four days, February 16-19, 2024.

Step 3 – Count all the birds you see or hear within your planned time/location and use the best tool for sharing your bird sightings:

• If you are a beginning bird admirer and new to the count, try using the Merlin Bird ID app.
• If you have participated in the count before, try eBird Mobile app or enter your bird list on the eBird website (desktop/laptop).
• If you are participating as a group, see instructions for Group Counting.

For more info: https://www.birdcount.org/

Snowy Owl, woodcarving by Bob Spear

Snowy Owl woodcarving by Bob Spear. Shown in the Winter Diorama.

Snow Bunting, woodcarving by Bob Spear

Snow Bunting, carved by Bob Spear, 1999.

Ruffed Grouse in snowy crab apple tree

Ruffed grouse in snow. Photo taken by E. Talmage, 2009 and used with permission

Wild Turkey tracks

Wild Turkey tracks in snow, with a ruler to the left, for scale

Black-capped chickadee

Black-capped chickadee on needle-less evergreen branches in winter

Common Redpoll on spruce

Redpoll female or juvenile with feathers fluffed against the cold. It is perched on a clump of snow on a spruce branch, with more snow, young trees, and a feeder with two more birds out of focus behind it. Photo © copyright by Erin Talmage.

Tufted Titmouse, woodcarving by Bob Spear

A Tufted Timouse, carved from wood and painted, is perched on a short bare branch and appear to look past the photographer's right shoulder.

Dark-eye Junco on snowy railing

Dark-eyed Junco in winter, standing on a snow-covered wooden railing. Huntington, Vermont, Photo by E. Talmage,2007 and used with permission.

Dark-eyed Junco, woodcarving by Bob Spear

Dark-eyed Junco woodcarving by Bob Spear. Gray songbird with chunky pale pink beak is seen in 3/4 view, with lower part of body and tail obscured. Background is black, with a partial green leaf (made of metal) behind the bird.

Winter diorama at the Birds of Vermont Museum

The winter diorama at the Museum contains several species of owls and other birds. These species are more commonly seen in winter in Vermont.

Black-capped Chickadee

A black-capped chickadee eyes black oil birdseed in the platform feeder during fall or winter

Black-capped Chickadee and Dark-eyed Junco

Black-capped Chickadee and Dark-eyed Junco in winter. The Chickadee is perched on a half-fallen dried goldenrod stem on the left; the Junco is underneath he stem on the right. There are some forsythia stems in the background and snow covers the ground. Digiscoped iPhone photo by K. Talmage and used by permission.

Common Redpoll on spruce in winter

Male Common Redpoll perched on a spruce branch; other branches have snow on them.

Black-capped chickadee

Black-capped Chickadee perched on a pile of (and eating) hulled sunflower seeds in winter.