Data Entry Contest: What Draws You to FeederWatch?
For the ninth season in a row, Project FeederWatch and our sponsor Wild Birds Unlimited are rewarding registered FeederWatchers with the chance to win prizes. Celestron has joined the fun by offering one pair of binoculars to each data entry contest winner as well. After entering counts into the FeederWatch website, on the submission confirmation page, participants have the opportunity to share a story, memory, or tip by clicking the “Enter to Win” button. Two winners will be selected at random per prompt. Our first Data Entry Contest prompt of the 38th season was:
Tell us why you like to FeederWatch. If this is your first time FeederWatching, what drew you to it?
Congratulations to our winners, Carrie Swan and Jeff Guy!
Carrie shared:
I have been struggling and find watching the birds a relaxing distraction. I downloaded the Merlin Bird ID app earlier this year and sometimes like to let Sound ID run to see what birds are around me. Through the Merlin Bird ID app, I learned about FeederWatch and thought it might be fun to turn my birdwatching into something useful.
Merlin Bird ID is an app that serves as a pocket ID guide, with helpful features such as Step by Step ID, Photo ID, and Sound ID. The Sound ID feature Carrie mentioned “listens” to bird songs in real time and suggests bird species that may be singing. While you can’t record birds for FeederWatch that you only hear but do not see, Sound ID can be used to help ID birds that participants are seeing and may have trouble identifying. Learn more about the Merlin Bird ID app here.
Jeff shared:
I always look forward to starting FeederWatch. I have been doing this for about 20 years. It is just part of my yearly birding story. I enjoy watching for the arrival of northern/mountain species seeking refuge at milder elevations and latitudes. It is always interesting comparing this year’s species to previous years. FeederWatch helps me become more engaged in observing the natural world, including [helping me notice] the changes to the seasons from fall to spring and the choruses of birds that dance on the stage of the natural world.
Like Jeff, we are also interested in seeing how FeederWatch sightings change from one year to the next! The Project FeederWatch team recently released a Site List feature, available on the app and website. Using the feature, you can see which birds species you have reported, the percentage of your counts for that site that included each species, the percentage of counts for the current season from FeederWatchers nearby that included each species, and a few nearby species you haven’t reported yet in the current season. Learn more about the Site List feature here.
Thanks to everyone who participated and shared their stories for this prompt – we wish we could share all of your submissions! Email feederwatch@cornell.edu with questions, and read the stories from past winners on our blog. Stay tuned for when we announce the next winners of our next data entry contest on January 14th, 2025.
Interested in becoming a FeederWatcher? Join the fun now!
