2016.02.14: Today was Day 3 of the Great Backyard Bird Count, so I decided to go birding at a couple of my favorite places to walk and count birds (i.e., Adtran Pond, and the Duck Pond) ...despite bitterly cold, overcast weather with a biting wind.
My husband doesn't enjoy birding or my frequent stops to take photos during our walks, and he has a strong aversion to being out in extreme weather -- but he cheerfully joined me anyway. To me, his willingness to walk the trails and patiently help me spot birds made this a wonderful Valentine's Day!
How sweet of him! So glad you enjoyed your Valentine's Day. Beautiful shot of the pond! I did GBBC many times over the years. Such fun for a great cause. It's interesting to watch the trends year to year. I missed doing it this year and look forward to jumping back in next year!
@janetb Today is the last day of the GBBC; I like that they have expanded it to last for 4 days. I also enjoy the air of excitement: As of yesterday people from over 110 countries had submitted more than 107,707 checklists for a total of 4,836 species observed and 11,702,384 individual birds reported!
I report to eBird every day anyway, though: Several years ago I started doing at least one 15-minute bird count each day, and started keeping my birding journal on eBird ...This gives me a chance to take a small "nature break" each day!
@dsp2 I like that they've expanded it and the excitement surrounding it, too! Those are some impressive numbers you stated! I look forward to participating next year. Good for you for both taking a nature break and reporting your sightings to eBird each day! I, too, take a nature break each day. Amazing how refreshing it is just to gaze upon our fascinating natural world. I've kept a nature journal for years, and I treasure being able to look back and relive the moments I've spent enjoying nature. Such a beautiful world we live in!
I report to eBird every day anyway, though: Several years ago I started doing at least one 15-minute bird count each day, and started keeping my birding journal on eBird ...This gives me a chance to take a small "nature break" each day!