DID YOU HEAR? Bird count sets records

The count is done — and it set records. The ninth annual Great Backyard Bird Count from Feb. 17-20 set new records as participation soared across the United States and Canada. From backyards to wildlife refuges, bird watchers tallied a record-breaking 623 bird species and 7.5 million individual birds in the event coordinated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society. Participants sent in more than 60,000 checklists, providing a wealth of information unmatched in previous years.