Tweet dreams are made of these
Lincoln City might have some great beaches and stunning views of the Pacific Ocean, but there are many more outdoor recreational opportunities that are also going for a song.
Such as a series of free monthly bird walks showing off the city’s open spaces, organized by Lincoln City Parks and Recreation and members of the Audubon Society of Lincoln City.
“There are 350 acres of open spaces within city limits, it's just incredible,” Audubon member Steve Griffiths said. “We think a lot of people don’t know about them, so these walks are about introducing people to them as well as helping people learn more about the local birds.”
Upcoming events
All walks start at 9 am
Saturday, Feb.12 - Friends of the Wildwood Open Space
Friday, March 12 - Hostetler Park and Devils Lake State Park.
Friday, April 8 - Spring Lake Open Space.
Saturday, May 13 - Cutler City Open Space and Josephine Young Park.
Friday, June 10 - The Villages Open Space with Road’s End State Recreational Area.
The series starts at the Friends of the Wildwood Open Space on Saturday, Feb.12.
It will be an easy walk through a forest right in the heart of Lincoln City on the Head to Bay Trail. Participants should see and hear year-round woodland residents such as Pacific wren and downy woodpecker as well as wintering sparrows and others.
“The walks will be very congenial and led by people who know what they are doing,” Griffiths said. “The veteran birders are very generous with their time and knowledge. Beginners are more than welcome.”
Dress for the weather as the walks happen rain or shine.
“It's a really pleasant way to spend a few hours and learn about the birds that inhabit our area,” Griffiths said.
The group will meet at 9 am at the trailhead on NE West Devils Lake Road. For more information, go to lincolncityaudubon.org.
•••
You can take your birdwatching up a notch and participate in a global citizen science project during the upcoming Great Backyard Bird Count, happening Friday through Monday, Feb. 18 through 21.
For four days each February, people spend time in their favorite places watching and counting as many birds as they can find and reporting their sightings. These observations help scientists better understand global bird populations before one of their annual migrations.
Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, the Great Backyard Bird Count was the first online citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real time.
Birds Canada joined the project in 2009 and in 2013, the count became a global project when the results were loaded into eBird, the world’s largest biodiversity-related citizen science project.
Prepare for the bird count with a free webinar designed for birders of all ages and experience on Wednesday, Feb. 16.
Brush up on bird ID, unlock the mystery of bird songs and practice counting birds no matter how large the flock or busy the feeder.
Plus, you’ll learn how to create group counts using new eBird Trip Reports.
An American Sign Language interpreter will be translating the event.
The webinar begins at 2 pm. For more information, go to birdcount.org.