Feb 15, 2006 — The 9th annual "Great Backyard Bird Count" gets underway this weekend. The National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology are encouraging everyone to count birds in their backyards, public lands, school yards and local parks. The annual bird count - which begins Friday and continues through Monday -- helps create a snapshot of winter bird numbers, species and distribution across North America. Todd Moe recently caught up with avid North Country birder Joan Collins. She lives in Potsdam and Long Lake and is vice president of the St. Lawrence-Adirondack Audubon chapter. Todd wanted to know more about bird watching and went along for a ski outing on a little known path along the southern edge of St. Lawrence county. The Leonard Pond trail is near routes 3 and 56 in the northern Adirondacks.