This weekend is the Great Backyard Bird Count sponsored by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. The four-day count is an opportunity for bird watchers from all over the United States and Canada to submit a list of the different species visiting their yards.

Participants count birds for as little as 15 minutes or all day and then submit the total number of birds for each species observed during the count. The scientists analyze the data to answer questions about the winter bird population, such as; how the weather is affecting the movement of the population; what new species are sighted in particular areas of the country; what species are declining and what species are increasing.

On most days some of the species that we see in our backyard include:

Red Bellied Woodpecker

White Breasted Nuthatch

Hairy Woodpecker

Carolina Wren

American Goldfinch

Mourning Dove

Tufted Titmouse

Dark-Eyed Junco

Back Capped Chickadee

Pileated Woodpecker

Crow

Cardinal

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker

Eastern Bluebird

House Finch

White-Throat Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Downy Woodpecker

Whether for a few minutes or hours, watching the birds is a lot of fun. So grab your binoculars and start counting!