The Great Backyard Bird Count

Birders start your counting! The Great Backyard Bird Count starts today and runs through Monday.

It's simple to do: The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds. We'll be adding updated 2009 GBBC materials as they become available.*

*From the GBBC web site.

So join in on the fun and do your part to help our feathered friends.

Winter Makes a Statement

After a rainy 56 degrees yesterday afternoon, winter made its reappearance today.

Today was the last day for the Great Backyard Bird Count and I was happy to see a female Hairy Woodpecker at one of the feeders. I refer to her as Harriet.

After snowing this morning, the sun came out and promptly melted all the snow. The snow picked up again this afternoon.

It's a wet, sticky snow.

Kelley's poor car has a coat of snow.

The Great Backyard Bird Count Continues

This is the second day of this year's Great Backyard Bird Count and the first day I had several birds to count. Yesterday was a disappointment, as only four birds visited the feeders. I was in luck this morning, though. It's not too late for you to join in the fun and do your own count.

Uh-oh. Seems we have another bird lover. Sorry, Eddy, you need to go back home so the birds will come around.

Now that the cat's gone, the birds arrive.

I fill the feeders with black sunflower seeds. I have tried the cheaper mixes in the past, but much of the seed was discarded by the picky clients. Not much of a money saver since most of the seed was left uneaten.

One of 6 cardinals that visited this morning. They typically travel in pairs, so we had 3 males and 3 females.

A tufted titmouse. They grab a seed, then hold it with their feet and peck it open with their beaks.

A sparrow visits.

Today's count: 6 cardinals, 1 chickadee, 1 tufted titmouse, 6 house finches, 3 juncos and 1 sparrow.

The Great Backyard Bird Count

February 15 - 18 marks the dates for the 11th annual Great Backyard Bird Count. This is a joint project of Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon. If you have 15 minutes and a desire to help our feathered friends, then I invite you to join me in this venture. It's fun and it's easy.

House finches at the feeder.

A mockingbird visits the suet feeder out front.