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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Join the crowd to count backyard birds

A blue jay is attracted by peanuts at a feeder in northwest Spokane. Up through the 1990s, blue jays were considered very rare east of the Rocky Mountains. But the birds have been expanding their range and settling into the Inland Northwest. Coeur d'Alene Auduboners have documented nesting jays in their area and even hybrids from interbreeding between blue jays and native Steller's jays. (Tom Munson)
A blue jay is attracted by peanuts at a feeder in northwest Spokane. Up through the 1990s, blue jays were considered very rare east of the Rocky Mountains. But the birds have been expanding their range and settling into the Inland Northwest. Coeur d'Alene Auduboners have documented nesting jays in their area and even hybrids from interbreeding between blue jays and native Steller's jays. (Tom Munson)

WILDLIFE WATCHING -- Birders are signing up to contribute 15 minutes of their favorite hobby to science.

The Great Backyard Bird Count, Feb.13-16, involves birders of all levels of experience to count the number of birds they see in a 15-minute period and enter their tally, by species,online.

Participants can conduct their count in their own backyards, in a neighborhood park or anywhere they choose.

Check it out. 

BTW, kids can really get into this. Grab a field guide to birds or Google what you see and feed the brain for natural science.

Rich Landers
Rich Landers joined The Spokesman-Review in 1977. He is the Outdoors editor for the Sports Department writing and photographing stories about hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, conservation, nature and wildlife and related topics.

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