Ready for a winter scavenger hunt? This one combines the brief focus of speed dating with the patience of bird-watching.
You adopt a 6-mile square. On one morning, select and visit 12 spots within that square, typically the habitat of a given bird. Spend no more than 5 minutes at each spot and look or listen for only the specific birds on your list. There are just a handful, and theyâre common enough that you donât need to be an expert to identify them: a white- or red-breasted nuthatch, Eastern bluebird, American goldfinch or Eastern towhee.
Then report your findings. The data will feed into the national Audubon Societyâs Climate Watch program, aimed at tracking how birds may be shifting their territories based on regional changes in weather and, as a result, habitat.