100th Post Goes to the Birds

It might have been months ago if I were more consistent , but instead it is now: THE ONE HUNDREDTH POST for Dry Ideas. And what other activity could be more complimentary than the act of counting? Counting birds.

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)is an annual event engaging bird enthusiasts of all ages to take a realtime snapshot of a where birds are located in the North American continent. This years count is next weekend, February 13-16 and requires as little as 15 minutes of time. Learn more at their site.

These two birds, the female and male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), haven't been considered western birds, but their numbers are increasing along the front range of Colorado due to the increase in treecover brought about by residential landscaping over the last one hundred years. You may hear them before you see them, but nothing says winter like the image of the bright red male contrasted against white snow. Last year, in the 2008 count, Northern Cardinals were the most reported species in the count followed by the Mourning Dove and the Dark-eyed Junco.

All-in-all, songbirds across the country are declining in numbers. Audubon reports common birds are becoming less common, with some species seeing a reduction of 80% over the past 40 years. Audubon provides information on how to help.

Photos compliments of the Wikimedia creative commons through Mayflower.