Calling all backyard birders

Wahkiakum County residents have an opportunity to participate in the 27th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) Feb. 16 through 19.

The GBBC is a worldwide citizen science opportunity in which anyone can count wild birds anywhere on one or more days and enter their sightings at birdcount.org. The information gathered by tens of thousands of individuals helps track bird population changes on a massive scale. The GBBC is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Audubon Society, Birds Canada, and Wild Birds Unlimited.

Further, from Friday, Feb. 16, through Monday, Feb. 19, visitors to Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, Fort Clatsop, can join in the count by recording bird observations in the park and make plans to count birds in their own backyards. Binoculars will be available for loan within the park.

In addition to the actual bird count, the park will share other bird-related activities, including a "Great Pink Heron" scavenger hunt and a "Birds of Fort Clatsop" display. A variety of bird field guides and bird-themed items are available for purchase at the Fort Clatsop Bookstore operated by the Lewis & Clark National Park Association, the park's non-profit education partner.

Check birdcount.org for more information on the worldwide bird count event or to submit bird counts.

For more information, call the park at 503-861-4414 or check out http://www.nps.gov/lewi or lewisandclarknps on Instagram, or Lewis and Clark National Historical Park on Facebook. Park hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. Admission is $10 per adult and free for youth 15 years old and under. America the Beautiful passes and Oregon Pacific Coast Passports are accepted for free admission.