Local bird watchers can contribute to a national effort this weekend without leaving home.
Friday through Monday, people are invited to join in the annual Great Backyard Bird Count. a real-time snapshot of birds across the continent.
Participants are asked to count for at least 15 minutes on one day — in their backyard or a wildland. Or they can count as long as they want, in any places, on all four days. Participation guidelines are at http://birdsource.org/gbbc.
Last year, birders submitted more than 150 lists from Clark County; lists from the Vancouver-area observers alone totaled 84 species of birds.
The data help document changes in numbers, locations and health of birds — including a drop in crow populations that coincided with outbreaks of West Nile virus.
