The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has several citizen science projects. Project Feederwatch is one of them. I have been participating for 26 years. It doesn't cost much to take part, it doesn't require a lot of time, and anyone can take part, regardless of mobility. It's a fun activity to do with kids as well.
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| Loki's "Time to feed the birds" stare |
My dogs, Loki and Sirius, love to feed the birds. I'd say it's their favorite activity outside of breakfast and dinner. I usually go out to feed the birds after breakfast. If I don't, the boys will stare at me. If that doesn't work they will start nudging me or climbing up in my lap to remind me the birds are starving.
They could care less about the birds eating. They love eating the bird seed themselves. Since I ground feed as well as put food in the feeders, they graze on the food on the ground. I try to scatter it all over the yard so they don't eat it all. I don't buy cheap bird food.
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| The boys grazing on bird food |
Last year, I carried a 20-lb bag of black oil sunflower seed out back to put in the bin and discovered I didn't have my scissors to open it, so I set the bag on the deck to go back in the house to get them. Once I got in the kitchen to get my scissors, I got distracted (the story of my life), so it was a good half hour before I remembered I still needed to put the food in the bin. When I went out, one of the dogs (probably Loki) had ripped open the bag and eaten a couple of cups of sunflower seed. Fortunately, sunflower seeds are not bad for dogs (although Loki is part goat and eats anything he can get into his mouth).
Project Feederwatch runs November through April. Although it is underway for this year, it isn't too late to sign up. You still have some months to enjoy the birds in your yard and contribute to our knowledge of birds.
Good birding!
