I completely forgot my schedule this week…as an old saying goes, I’ve been under the weather…and it wasn’t til waking Saturday morning in the predawn hours that I realized Friday had passed with no blog post written.
I love writing this post—the act of pulling it together each week is a centering force in my life. But in some way, because it happens so rarely, completely forgetting about “my schedule” was an odd gift.
I have been traveling back and forth to the Central Coast attending to some personal commitments. To begin my days in Morro Bay, I head straight to the bay, stop for coffee at a little cafe, and head out with my dog to The Rock. I’ve walked there so many times over the years (my parents lived in Morro Bay for 30+ years), I know just where to look to spot herons fishing. I was able to capture this portrait with the digital zoom on my old iPhone SE. I had to be patient, hunched down on my knees, to catch this angle. This was my 5th and final shot.
I’ve written about BirdNote before. If you haven’t subscribed yet, do it now for short informative vignettes featuring different bird species…like this one on the Great Blue Heron. Your kids will enjoy hearing the Blue Heron’s squawk compared to a T Rex. (Here is the subscription link to the BirdNote weekly preview email.) That’s how I was alerted that this coming week the annual Great Backyard Bird Count is happening. The GBBC is an opportunity to participate in an international citizen science event that can really help contribute to our understanding of bird populations. It’s definitely a way to participate in using digital tools to support the birds we live amongst. Are you a little intimidated? Give it a try this year and when it comes around next year, you’ll feel more confident to participate. It’s a great opportunity to dust off your Merlin Bird ID app if you’re not already using it regularly.
Here are a few links to get you and your family started:
Background from the Audubon Society—participation can take as little as 15 minutes.
The Official GBBC website—you’ll find instructions for participation.
Explore Your Region—get an idea of what birds you might see and what to look for
Let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear if you participated in the count with children or teens.
