Participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count of 2006! [1]

For those of you unfamiliar with the GBBC, it's a cooperative venture between Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. They have this survey every year, and they use data to establish trends in bird populations, such as migratory habits and sheer numbers nationwide.

Feb. 17 - 20. All you have to do is spend 15 minutes watching birds in your area, keep a tally sheet, and then upload it to the GBBC website. (A set of binoculars helps, as does a field guide to birds. I prefer the Sibley guides [2] myself, but the Stokes and Peterson guides are also excellent.)

http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/howto.html [3]

It's easy, it's educational, and heck, it's even a little fun.

It's an SKB-approved (TM pending) activity, I'm sure, too.

Bonus: There will also be a juried photo competition this year.