The 13th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count begins its tally taking Friday.

Bird watchers from beginners to highly skilled experts can participate in this free GBBC program that helps researchers at Cornell Lab of Ornithology study bird population numbers and dynamics shifts across North America.

Bird Studies Canada will join in the program during the four days of data collection. Buffalo Audubon Society offers a GBBC Training Workshop at 10 a. m. Friday.

Camera savvy participants can enter a photo contest for prizes. For details on count recording and the photo contest, go to birdcount.org. or call (800) 843-2473.

Steelie Saturday

Scales will be set up at Lewiston Landing early Saturday morning for sign-ups and later for weighing in trout entries in the Roger Tobey Memorial Steelhead Contest.

The Niagara River Anglers Association’s annual steelie competition goes from sunrise to 2 p. m. for trout taken from the lower Niagara River, Lake Ontario and its tributaries.

Boating and shore casting anglers can enter one possible winner. All aboard a boat must be entered to weigh in fish caught. Earliest fish entered wins in case of tied weights. Registrations made by Monday enter an Early Bird Drawing.

An awards dinner at Lewiston Fire Hall No. 1 begins at 3 p. m. For entry details, call 998-9810, 946-6811, or 731-4780 or visit niagarariveranglers.com.

Rabbit results

Stiff chilling breezes could not cool the Frank Privitiere Memorial Rabbit Hunting Derby held out of Reese’s Place in Lackawanna on Jan. 30.

Competitors from Western New York and southern Ontario brought in bunnies for the weigh-in that evening and the same three-hunter team that took first place last year did so this year.

Mike Furia, Andy Cashetta, and Bruce Stenglein topped all teams with a 3.86- pound entry. Rick Giermata, derby coordinator, noted their winner last year went 3.64 pounds.

Giermata was pleased to see the number of young hunters attending the awards dinner that night. “When things got going it looked like an Italian wedding,” he quipped after the gathering. For details on future hunts and dog-training out of Smokes Creek Kennels, check with Giermata at 602-5017.

Pistols versus archers

Allied Sportsmen of WNY holds its 27th Annual Pistol versus Archery shooting event Saturday.

Competitions between center-fire hand gunners (lead bullets only) and bow shooters (primitive or modern) get going between 10 a. m. and 2 p. m. Shooters have the option of entering both pistol and archery scores with a $10 entry fee covering both.

That entry fee also includes snacks and drinks available during the shoots and a cookout will be served at noon. For details on pistol entries, call John Floriano (725-5822); for archery info, call Mike Kurtowicz (983-8544).