Great Backyard Bird Count


© Jerry Acton, Courtesy of The Audubon Society/GBBC

I just got an email from the organizers of the Great Backyard Bird Count announcing the winners of their 2008 Photo Contest. The winning images are definitely worth a gander; check them out here. The Northern Cardinal shot above was taken by Jerry Acton and took top prize for Composition.

This is probably a good time to remind you that this year’s GBBC event will be held between February 14 and February 16, 2009. GBBC is a fabulous, low-key bird census project that anyone (ANYONE!) can participate in. You can find all the information you need to get started at the Great Backyard Bird Count website.

And, hey, if you’ve got budding naturalists on your shopping list–or if you are a budding naturalist in the process of making a wish list–a field guide (here are a few suggestions), a nice pair of binoculars, and a printout of that GBBC webpage would make a great get-outside-and-explore gift!