My flock and I headed out to the Charlotte Nature Museum this weekend to take part in the “Great Backyard Bird Count.” Kids of all ages tramped around Freedom Park to count Canadian geese, mallards and hawks. The outing provided a plausible excuse to climb a tree for a close-up look, an opportunity that our older son didn’t pass up. We also learned that if you go near bushes and make a “shhh…shhhh….shhh” sound, it might entice a few thrushes to peek out.
The GBBC is a national project sponsored by the Cornell University Ornithology Lab and Audubon that encourages people to be "citizen scientists." Participants from all over the country spend a few minutes over a period of four days recording which birds and how many pop by their back yards for a visit. While the event at the Nature Museum is a good way to kick it off, it’s entirely optional.
The project’s website, www.birdsource.org, allows you to submit tallies online, see the top 10 most frequently sighted birds, highest numbers of birds and more. The site also provides pictures of birds and common songs, which helps immensely for us amateurs. It’s also interesting to see the cities and states with the highest records submitted. North Carolina has placed high in the top 10 in the past few years – with Charlotte currently in the lead spot for highest number of reports submitted (so, yeah for us!).
The rest of the afternoon at the Nature Museum was just perfect for all three of our kids. My 2 and 5-year olds held an impromptu puppet show, while my 7-year old entertained himself with the indoor tunnels. Places with wide appeal across ages score extra points in my book. Places that provide bird-themed snacks like “fish” (goldfish) and grapes score extra BONUS points, especially on a day when I forgot to pack them.
As a side note, every time we head over to Discovery Place or the Charlotte Nature Museum, I’m re-convinced that the $100 family membership has the highest return on our investment in “fun” than any other spend. For more information on admission and hours, visit: www.discoveryplace.org.
