Birding Blog

Be a CamClickr!

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has placed live cameras at active bird nests all around the country. Since 1999, Cornell has archived more than 8 million images from these NestCams. And now they need your help to sort and tag them. Cornell has developed CamClickr, an online tool you can use to view the images and sort them into albums, then tag each image by type of behavior you see such as preening, eating, feeding chicks, etc.

CamClickr will appeal not only to bird lovers, but to people who enjoy testing their skills with online games. Collect points and compete for prizes, such as binoculars, DVDs, books and posters, when you log on to CamClickr to help sort and tag the camera images. Also, by using the CamClickr online tool, you help scientists learn more about the nesting behavior of birds and how they are responding to challenges in their environment.

Just visit www.camclickr.org to create an account. This allows you to chat in the NestCam forums, tag photos and track your stats in CamClickr anytime.

Backyard Bird Counts

River Legacy Living Science Center had a successful Family Fun Saturday: We Love Birds! event on Saturday, February 14. Following is a list and count of birds taken during the guided bird walks in River Legacy Parks that was submitted to the Great Backyard Bird Count Web site:

Red-Shouldered Hawk: 3
White-Winged Dove: 7
Blue Jay: 2
White-Crowned Sparrow: 5
Red-bellied Woodpecker: 3
Downy Woodpecker: 1
Carolina Wren: 5
Northern Cardinal: 3
Black Vulture: 1
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet: 5
Yellow-rumped Warbler: 9
Northern Flicker: 1
Carolina Chickadee: 5
Belted Kingfisher: 1
American Crow: 2
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker: 1
White-Throated Sparrow: 3
Great Blue Heron: 1
Ring Billed Gull: 4
Turkey Vulture: 1
Titmouse: 3
Sharp-shinned Hawk: 1
Great-tailed Grackle: 12
House Sparrow: 4

During the 2009 Great Backyard Bird Count event a total of 93,590 checklists were submitted; 619 species were observed; and more than 11.5 million individual birds were counted. To learn more visit www.birdsource.org/gbbc.

12th annual Great Backyard Bird Count

River Legacy Living Science Center is once again joining this national effort to count birds for fun and for science during the 12th annual Great Backyard Bird Count held the weekend of February 13-16. A joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, this free event is an opportunity for families, students and people of all ages to discover the wonders of nature in backyards, schoolyards and local parks, and at the same time, make an important contribution to conservation. Participants count birds and report their sightings online at www.birdcount.org. 

 Anyone can take part, from novice bird watchers to experts, by counting birds for as little as 15 minutes or as long as they wish on one or more days of the event.

River Legacy's Great Backyard Bird Count/Family Fun Saturday: We Love Birds! event will be from 10 am to 2 pm, Saturday, February 14, at River Legacy Living Science Center, 703 NW Green Oaks Blvd. in Arlington. Activities include guided bird walks, Birding 101 workshops, story times and art activities, crafting Valentine Bird Feeders and more. Participants who take part in the walks and bird counting will have opportunities to enter their information online in the multipurpose room.

The data that these "citizen scientists" collect helps researchers understand bird population trends, information that is critical for effective conservation. In 2008, participants submitted more than 85,000 checklists.

For more information on River Legacy's FREE event, call 817.860.6752. For more information about the 12th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, visit www.birdcount.org.

Neighborhood Turkey

Kelly reported seeing this wild turkey on Dec. 18 wandering around Giltin Court, which backs up to the park property. Too cool.

 

The Big Sit!

Members of the Fort Worth Audubon Society recently participated in the Bird Watcher's Digest Big Sit event. The Wings Over Wastewater team as they were called began their Big Sit at 4 am at the Village Creek Drying Beds on October 12 and logged 82 species, 10 more than last year. This was the Audubon group's 2nd year to participate in The Big Sit. To learn more about the event, visit the Bird Watcher's Digest Web site at www.birdersdigest.com. For a list of species spotted visit the Fort Worth Audubon's web site at www.fwas.org and click on forums and Village Creek Drying Beds & River Legacy Parks topic.

After reading about all the fun the birders had during the Big Sit, you may want to mark your calendars to join them next year!

Birds of River Legacy

Situated along the river bottom woodland of the Trinity River, River Legacy Parks are home to more than 225 species of birds providing year-round and seasonal bird-watching opportunities.

Have you caught sight of any of our feathered friends? If so, use this blog to let us know about it. Or maybe you are having a hard time identifying that beautiful bird you spotted in the distance, write about it here, and someone can help you figure it out.

Also, be sure to stop by the Living Science Center to pick up one of our brochures listing all the birds you might find and when you might find them in River Legacy Parks before heading out on your next bird-watching adventure.

Happy Birding!

Does a Baby Bird really need our help?

A baby bird found alone does not always mean that the bird has been abandoned or orphaned. Before handling the animal, check to see if it really does need assistance. First, determine if the baby bird has feathers or not. If the bird does not have feathers, it needs help. Look around for its nest, and if it is still intact, place the baby bird in the nest. If the nest is damaged, you can make a substitute nest using old berry baskets or margarine tubs and line them with the old nest, dry grass or pine needles. Hang the new nest in the original or nearby tree and patiently observe the nest to see if the parent returns.

If a young bird has feathers, it is a fledgling getting ready to fly. As long as the bird is safe from cats, dogs and people, it is OK to leave them where they are. If it is not safe, place the bird in a nearby bush or tree branch and again watch patiently to see if the parents return. If no parents appear, contact an appropriate organization.

If a baby bird has an obvious injury or illness, immediately contact a wildlife rehabilitation organization such as DFW Wildlife Coalition (972-234-WILD). You can also call the Living Science Center at 817.860.6752 for a listing of wildlife rehabilitators near you.

But most importantly remember that the best chance of survival for a baby bird or animal is with its mother.