Great Backyard Bird Count Feb. 12-15, 2010

In the 2009 Great Backyard Bird Count, 1,260 checklists in Indiana reported 6,082 cardinals. © iStockphoto

You don’t have to be a gardener very long before you notice other inhabitants of the landscape.

Last year this time, robins filled my yard, but this year nary a one. No robins, either, on my daily walks with the dog along White River, where last year, there were flocks of the red-breasted birds.

One way to know which birds are in your landscape is to participate in the 13th annual Great Backyard Bird Count Feb. 12 through 15, one of the largest citizen science activities in the country. Participation is free.

Bird populations change all the time and one way to keep track is by the count, sponsored by the National Audubon Society with support from Wild Birds Unlimited, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Resource Conservatiopn Science and the National Science Foundation. The count helps scientists understand birds and environmental factors on their populations.

Last year, 94,165 checklists were submitted, which counted nearly 11.6 million birds representing 620 species. Here’s the Indiana count from 2009.

Here’s how to participate:

* Get a checklist for your area.

* Select a site. This can be your bird feeder, a tree, a spot in the yard, landmark or other area. Watch the site for at least 15 minutes.

* Consider the count like a snapshop. Count the birds you see and record the highest number for each species. For instance, you see two cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) and one Carolina chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) the first time you count, which you record. The second time you count, you see three cardinals and three chickadees. You correct your tally to the higher numbers. Do not add the numbers together.

* Record weather conditions, time of day and time spent on counting.

* Report your count at the Web site.