Lehigh Gap Nature Center will conduct its 25th annual Lehigh Gap Area Feeder Watch on the weekend of Feb. 12-14. Forty-five volunteers participated in the 24th annual survey last February and observed 2,432 birds of 49 different species. Over 60,000 birds have been tallied in the 24 years of counting.

The Feeder Watch is one of the long-term research projects that LGNC conducts each year. Since 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.

It is important to have a large number of volunteers to gather enough data for the survey to be more accurate.

The Feeder Watch survey is conducted by volunteers who live within an approximately 15-mile radius of LGNC.

Anyone in that geographic area with one or more bird feeders of any type in their yard, and who can identify the individual species of birds that visit the feeders, is invited to participate in the 2021 Feeder Watch.

Volunteers are asked to spend a few hours throughout the day on Feb. 12, 13 or 14 observing their feeders and recording any visitors. For each species, volunteers should record the maximum number of each species sighted at one time. This way, they will avoid counting the same birds more than once.

The Lehigh Gap Area Feeder Watch is an opportunity for backyard bird watchers to make a contribution to a scientific study.

The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society started a similar project one year after the LGNC count began, and LGNC officials encourage their participants to submit their count data to Cornell’s Great Backyard Bird Count in addition to LGNC.

Volunteers can download the Feeder Watch data form from www.lgnc.org. If requested, volunteers can also receive the data form and instructions via email or USPS.

For more information, volunteers should contact the Nature Center at 610-760-8889 or at mail@lgnc.org.

LGNC is a member-supported environmental education and wildlife conservation organization located in the Lehigh Gap between Slatington and Palmerton.