Helpers sought to count birds at Belle Isle

Detroit — Wildlife watchers and citizen scientists are invited to help count birds at Belle Isle Park in Detroit as part of a continent-wide project.

The two-hour birding event begins at 9 a.m. on Feb. 18. Twenty people can take part. They’ll meet at the nature zoo parking lot, then caravan to other points on the island.

Birds observed on the tour will be noted for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s annual Great Backyard Bird Count, which helps assess the abundance and distribution of birds around North America.

Wildlife technician Holly Vaughn of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources says there are a number of bird species around the Detroit River this time of year, including a variety of ducks.

To register, call Tom Jones at 734-612-6677.