Everyday watchers across America help FeederWatch keep track of birds

FeederWatch participants don't have to be dedicated birdwatchers, just people who feed birds in their yards.

SHARON WOOTTON

Originally published November 6, 2001

Scientific data doesn't appear by magic. It takes countless hours of research to draw conclusions about nature.

Birds, for instance, don't punch time clocks, leave calling cards or file travel plans to make ornithologists' lives easier.

Since there aren't enough researchers to spread out across the country in an effective way, the scientists have turned to you and me for help with Project FeederWatch, which monitors bird populations.

The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology operates FeederWatch with the National Audubon Society, Bird Studies of Canada and the Canadian Nature Federation.

"It's a way to find out if there are trends, population increases or decreases, whether the ranges are changing," said spokeswoman Anne Marie Johnson.

Last year FeederWatch participants spotted the blue jays in White Salmon and Spokane and documented the dispersal of several montane species from western mountains, including invasions of Stellar's jays, Clark's nutcracker and Cassin's finch.

Wild Birds Unlimited is a sponsor of FeederWatch.

"It gives scientists all sorts of information about birds in everyone's backyards," said Ruth Pagel, owner of Wild Birds stores in Olympia and Lacey.

FeederWatchers help track the spread of an eye disease in house finches, too.

"It's a neat, neat thing. And you don't have to devote a lot of time to it. You just have to observe carefully. If you see a house finch that has a problem with disease, you note that, too," Pagel said.

Some of her customers participate.

"My customers told me of the eruption of crossbills last year. We had crossbills all over the place," Pagel said.

The population of siskins exploded, too.

"All of a sudden I had hundreds of siskins mobbing my feeders. But you have to be particularly careful when there's that many birds because it's an invitation to disease.

"Clean the feeders every two weeks, keep the ground clean and provide fresh water," Pagel said.

FeederWatch participants don't have to be dedicated birdwatchers, just people who feed birds in their yards. Sometimes schools and senior centers participate, Johnson said.

"They pick a two-day period every week or every other week and count everything that comes to the feeders and keep a running tally. They can take as much or as little time as they want in that period," Johnson said.

FeederWatch provides report sheets, or the report can be made through the Internet.

"The Internet makes it a lot easier for the participants to enter data," Johnson said. "The information we're able to get back is presented in maps in real time, displays where the birds are seen in the country and in Canada."

While the program runs Nov. 10-April 5, participants can jump in at any time. You won't be alone. About 15,000 people are monitoring feeders in the U.S., and more than 3,000 in Canada.

For information on FeederWatch, call 800-843-2473, e-mail feederwatch@cornell.edu, or check the Web site, birds.cornell.edu/pfw.

There is a $15 fee that supports the nonprofit's counting efforts.

Raptor changes

Raptor expert William Clark, who for 30 years coordinated the Cape May Raptor Banding Project in New Jersey, has revised the Peterson field guide.

This edition of "Hawks of North America" ($20, Houghton Mifflin) should make it easier to identify 39 raptors, including eagles, vultures, kites, falcons, harriers and osprey.

It's an easier read than the first edition, and is in full color with new photographs supplementing 40 new paintings.

Sharon Wootton is a free-lance writer from the San Juan Islands. E-mail questions, suggestions or comments on Nature's Journal, to songandword@rockisland.com.

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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