For the birds

Today is the first day of the Great Backyard Bird Count, which continues through Monday. Diane Porter feeds a chickadee. As she watched from her large windows today, chickadees, goldfinches and tufted titmice arrived. Porter sat very still after putting out more food lest she frighten her feathered friends away by sudden movement. Then, in an excited voice Porter exclaimed, ?Oh, I see a flock of, I think they are snow geese. I am going to scare the little birds away.? Then she quickly focused her binoculars on the flying formation. Sure enough, there were roughly 400 snow geese flying overhead. ?I have never had snow geese during a count,? she said. Anyone interested in going to the Porters with Jefferson County Park Naturalist Therese Cummiskey to participate in the count as a group is to meet at Jefferson County Park at 9:30 a.m. Monday. The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers across the country. Anyone can participate by counting for as few as 15 minutes. To learn more, visit the official website at www.birdcount.org.