Make every bird count!

As part of National Bird Week 2015, which runs from 19th to 25th October, BirdLife Australia is conducting its second annual AUSSIE BACKYARD BIRD COUNT.
You can get involved as a citizen scientist, even if you’re a relative novice. All you need is 20 minutes and keen eyesight (or binoculars) in your ‘backyard’ of choice, which may be your actual backyard, a local park or reserve, or your favourite patch of bush.
 
Simply record the birds you know and look up those you don’t on the new Aussie Bird Count app or through the website. There you can find statistics and information on how many people are taking part near you and the number of birds and species counted in your local area, and the whole of Australia!
 
If you’re in the Flowerdale-Strath Creek area, you can come along to an introductory walk and talk about the count on Saturday 17th October starting at 10am in Coonans Reserve, Upper King Parrot Creek Road, Flowerdale. Sue McNair, Environment Officer with Murrindindi Shire Council, will have all the information to get you started on the count. Download the flyer for the event here: Make every bird count. Sue is hoping for a good response so the bird data can be used in the Shire’s environmental planning processes.
 
So, join in the count wherever you are – not only will you get to know your feathered neighbours, but you’ll be contributing to a vital pool of information from across the nation that will help determine how Australian birds are faring.
Last year 800,000 birds were counted – this year let’s make it one million!