Great Backyard Bird Count Party at the Bethlehem Public Library

We had a big turnout of about 65 participants for this year’s Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) party at the Bethlehem Area Public Library!

Participants learned how to conduct their own count for the GBBC, practiced identifying birds, got to meet Te Kā, a Screech Owl from the Da Vinci Science Center, heard the story of how the newest edition of Birds of the Lehigh Valley and Vicinity came about, and went out for a guided bird walk at Nisky Hill Cemetery.

Yummy bird-themed refreshments were available, along with take-home handouts on bird ID and bird conservation.

Please enjoy this video made by LVAS volunteer Kelly Patla!

Thank you to Pattie Terrero, Diane Rudolph, Jon Levin, Dan Pokras, and Todd Watkins for helping make this possible, along with Bethlehem Area Public Library staff, Kelly Patla on video camera, and Brandon Swayser the Screech Owl wrangler!

Join LVAS Great Backyard Bird Count Party at Bethlehem Public Library on Feb. 14th

Please join Lehigh Valley Audubon Society for this year's Great Backyard Bird Count Party, in a brand new format!

Feb. 14, 10 am - Noon

We'll be at the Bethlehem Area Public Library community room, and we'll be combining the bird count with a book launch celebration!

Lots of fun will be had, as usual.

**REGISTRATION REQUIRED at www.bapl.org/backyard-bird-count or call 610-867-3761 to reserve your spot.**

Learn with LVAS at the Great Backyard Bird Count on Saturday, February 15th!

Join Lehigh Valley Audubon Society for the Great Backyard Bird Count Party at Wildlands Conservancy in Emmaus

February 15th, 10 am - 2 pm

Stay as little or as long as you like!


We’ll be counting birds from 10 - 2 in heated comfort in the Trexler Education Building. Outdoor walks at 10:30 and 12:30. Live education birds up close and personal at 11:30 and 1:30!

Never miss an event, volunteer opportunity or the latest news, become an LVAS member &/or volunteer!

2025 Great Backyard Bird Count Event Flyer

GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT 2023

Originally Published in April - June 2023 Quarterly Newsletter of The Lehigh Valley Audubon Society

Brandon Swayser and Sunny, the Barred Owl

Here at LVAS, we don’t just count birds for the Great Backyard Bird Count – we party! The Great Backyard Bird Count party is a joint project of Lehigh Valley Audubon Society (LVAS) and Wildlands Conservancy. We met at the Trexler Building at the Dorothy Rider Pool Wildlife Sanctuary, where feeders were set-up in front of windows. Adults and children alike watched the feeders, practiced their bird ID, and counted the birds. They were enthralled by the chance to view education birds, Sunny the Barred Owl and Nittany the Red-tailed Hawk, up-close, with lots of good info and background stories on these two birds by Brandon Swayser. With cooperative weather, many participants also enjoyed the option to take a guided walk through the woods and along the creek to see what else could be found. Many cookies and pretzels were consumed, bird puzzles were done, and pine cone snowy owls were made.

Participants at Great Backyard Bird Count - Photo by Ello Soto

Twenty-three species were spotted altogether, with highlights including four Common Mergansers and a Red-tailed Hawk and Turkey Vultures circling overhead. A big thanks to our LVAS volunteers who helped with approximately 42 visitors: Jim Funk, Colette Cragin, Paul Sherrer, Janet Farley, Karen Campbell, Dan Pokras, and Betty Abrams. Special thanks to Wayne Frick for bringing his Chirpsounds technology to pipe bird vocalizations inside for learning sound ID.

Participants at Great Backyard Bird Count - Photo by Ello Soto