Eastern FeederWatchers began reporting sightings of irruptive winter finches (such as this Pine Grosbeak in Dryden, New York) in early November. Is this the beginning of a widespread "invasion" of winter finches? Participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count this February and help us discover where the birds are this winter. Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes

We know, this is what we've asked you to do every year since that first count in 1998. Sure, we could come up with a whiz-bang way to celebrate, but the simple fact is this: we need your participation in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Every backyard, schoolyard, park, and nature center plays a special part in our efforts to create a database of the distribution and abundance of North American birds that is as complete as possible.

Thanks to the help of thousands of bird enthusiasts across the continent, past GBBC results have provided insight into winter finch irruptions from Canada and the extreme northern United States into regions farther south. The data have documented a correlation between snow depth and the winter distribution of American Robins - in 1999, participants reported robins in surprising numbers in the western Great Lakes Region, the Maritime Provinces, and other northern locales with snow depth below five inches. GBBC data also help predict the arrival of spring, because counts show the large-scale movement of blackbird flocks as they return to their breeding grounds.

More importantly, each year of the count serves as a key component in a long-term database that will help us look for changes in bird distribution and abundance over time, especially when combined with other important databases such as the Christmas Bird Count and Project FeederWatch.

It's easy to participate. Families, individuals, classrooms, Scout troops - anyone with an interest in birds - can count the numbers and kinds of birds they see on any or all of the count days (remember, don't combine counts among days). They can count in their favorite birding locations, whether backyards, parks, or even right out the office window. Participants submit reports via the Internet at <www.birdsource.org/gbbc>, and results are compiled almost immediately for all to view as animated maps, graphs, and charts.

Visit the GBBC web site for information, including images, vocalizations, range maps, and tips to help participants distinguish among similar-looking species.

For more information, visit the Great Backyard Bird Count web site or call the Lab of Ornithology at (800) 843-2473 in the U.S. or (607) 254-2473 if outside the U.S. If you do not have Internet access and would like to participate, please contact us before the count.