Seventy-one area residents who live within a 15-mile radius of Lehigh Gap Nature Center took on the role of citizen scientist for a day in February and became feeder watch volunteers for the Center's 20th annual feeder watch.

Lehigh Gap Nature Center sponsors the feeder watch as a research project to monitor bird populations in the region each winter.The 71 feeder watchers identified 40 different species at their feeders, the same number as the past three years.They counted 3,515 birds, well below the 2015 count, and there were 50 total birds seen per feeder.The long-term averages for the count are 38 species identified and 52 birds per station.Director Dan Kunkle said the snow cover and cold weather in 2015 made it difficult for wild birds to find food, leading to a record number of birds counted last year.There was no snow cover at all in 2016, likely leading to the lower numbers as the birds were able to find their natural foods more easily. Many feeder watchers reported lower than usual numbers of birds at their feeders.Over the 20 years, the number of feeder watchers has ranged from 20 to 77, with an average of 52 sites per year. The top 10 most numerous birds reported were:• Dark-eyed junco (853)• Mourning dove (310)• Black-capped chickadee (290)• European starling (269)• House finch (222)• Northern cardinal (177)• Tufted titmouse (174)• House sparrow (194)• White-breasted nuthatch (133)• American goldfinch (130)• Blue jay (130)The dark-eyed junco was the most widespread and most abundant species, showing up at 64 of 71 feeding stations.Northern cardinal appeared at 63 stations, white-breasted nuthatch and tufted titmouse at 56, downy woodpeckers at 55, and black-capped chickadees at 52 stations.White-breasted nuthatches were more numerous and more widespread than usual. They were reported at 79 percent of feeder watch sites and the total number seen (133) shattered the previous record high number of 105 in 2015.The Feeder Watch is one of the long-term research projects of the Lehigh Gap Nature Center.Because birds are excellent indicators of environmental quality, a long-term study like the Feeder Watch may provide valuable data about environmental quality in the study area.The watch coincides with Cornell Lab's Great Backyard Bird Count and feeder watchers are encouraged to report their data to Cornell as well as to LGNC.Geryl Grilz coordinates the Feeder Watch.Anyone who would like to participate next year should call the nature center at 610-760-8889 or

lgnc@ptd.net.