Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)
From: Joseph Zarki jwzarki@gmail.com
Subject: Great Backyard Bird Count, Joshua Tree National Park, Feb. 15-18, 2019
Dear Joshua Tree Birders,
Once again we'll be spreading out across the park during the upcoming Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) to count birds and asses winter bird populations at some our our favorite park locations. This year's GBBC runs from Friday February 15 through Monday, February 18. I'm hoping you'll join me and other birding enthusiasts in helping with this annual event.
Since 2010, Joshua Tree National Park has participated in the 4-day national birding event called the Great Backyard Bird Count (http://gbbc.birdcount.org). The activity, sponsored and organized by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and the website eBird (http://ebird.org/content/ebird/) encourages birders to go out in their backyards or other favorite nearby birding locations and spend a few hours each day collecting data on their local bird populations. The park, as a neighbor to the Morongo Basin and Coachella Valley, encourages birders to adopt Joshua Tree National Park as one of their favorite birding spots and help gather data on winter bird populations.
Once again, we will survey eight different locations in the park in 2-4 hour shifts . Birding activity on a Joshua Tree Great Backyard Bird Count typically involves a mixture of birding along roadsides or walking along park trails. Each area will have two daily time slots– morning and afternoon. Volunteers can sign up for any open area or time slot.
Data is collected on species and numbers of individuals seen. The good news is that, unlike the Christmas Bird Count, observers don't have to track party hours or miles. You do need to record your time birding and the observers in your group. You can also work alone as a party of one, although it's safer and often more fun to go with a friend. Observers report their data on eBird. I ask each observer to also send me a copy of their results or at least the eBird trip report number. What I will do is collate each observers records into a single park report and then share it with all participants. Wherever possible sightings should be documented with digital photos. These can be uploaded to eBird, but I'd like to ask that you consider sending me a copy for inclusion with the park records.
You should also visit the Great Backyard Bird Count website (http://gbbc.birdcount.org) and find out how to record your data. If you don't want to set up an eBird account, let me know, and I'll enter your data on my account.
While the park GBBC of course focuses on birds at Joshua Tree NP, the GBBC is a nationwide activity that encourages birders to survey any of their favorite birding spots, whether your backyard, neighborhood, or any local park or birding hotspot. We are fortunate to have any number of good birding locations across the Morongo Basin and Coachella Valley, so if you want to pick another spot for your GBBC activity, go for it. The Yucca Valley Wal-Mart even has a special sale on bird seed right now in support of this year's GBBC.
Joe
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