How have you been affected by the winter weather? In some parts of the country the snow is deep, ice covers everything in other places, and in the southwest it is as dry as a bone. If you don't like winter weather, it has been a rough winter. I like the look of snow rather than dead brown grass and bare trees, but after a couple of months of either one, I am ready for spring flowers.

If I can't have spring flowers, I will watch winter birds. Bird watching, bird feeding and gardening are the top outdoor activities and for most of us that do one of those activities we do the other two as well.

Have you wondered what happens to the birds and small mammals in your neighborhood when the weather is so cold and snow covers everything or when nothing is growing due to a drought? Unfortunately, for small animals that can't go very far from home, like squirrels or raccoons, some will die. Even for small birds that can fly farther, they may not get far enough to find food. Cold snowy winters and droughts reduce animal populations every year. On the bright side, many birds and mammals do survive.

It is hard for researchers to survey every area every year to see which animal populations are increasing or declining. In the past decade, the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology has been sponsoring Project Feeder Watch. All winter long, thousands of participating citizen scientists record all the birds they see at their feeders each week. By comparing results it is possible to see where birds move across the country and to see if populations are changing.

A super easy way to participate in this scientific research is to count all the birds you can see in just fifteen minutes — or longer if you want. The Great Backyard Bird Count sponsored by the Lab will take place Feb. 14 to 17 and you can do it from the comfort of your living room if you want to. It is an annual four-day period when bird watchers create a snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can be a bird watcher for those four days. A 'backyard' can be anywhere you happen to be, a schoolyard, a local park, the balcony of a high-rise apartment or a wildlife refuge.

Doing the count is easy. All you do is count the birds you see at any location. The highest number of each species seen on any of the days is recorded. Then you go to www.birdcount.org to record your list online. Check out the photo contest page to see some great photos.

The Great Backyard Bird Count website can also help you prepare for a trip to the backyard or where ever you choose to watch birds The site is full of tips of all kinds, including information on bird feeding, how to use binoculars, how to make your yard bird-friendly and how to identify birds, especially those tricky, similar-looking species. There are even tips on how to be a bird-friendly family.

The results of each survey are displayed on a variety of maps. You can easily see the distribution pattern of any bird species. You can also see the same map change over time as the bird's mapped distribution changes over the years. You can compare your sightings to everyone else's in your state.

Make sure the birds from your community are well represented in the count. It doesn't matter whether you report the five species coming to your backyard feeder or the 75 species you see during a day's outing to a wildlife refuge.

This event was developed and managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, with sponsorship from Wild Birds Unlimited store owners.

Email questions to Jeff Rugg at [email protected]. To find out more about Jeff Rugg and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.