The Great Backyard Bird Count 2012

Female Hairy Woodpecker

The Great Backyard Bird Count kicked-off this year on Thursday, February 17th  and runs through Monday February 20th. The GBBC is a joint project between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology & Audubon that asks amateur volunteers to count the birds that they can identify. Participants count birds anywhere for as little or as long as they wish during the four-day period. They tally the highest number of birds of each species seen together at any one time. To report their counts, they fill out an online checklist at the Great Backyard Bird Count website. The results of the long weekend give a snapshot picture of Winter bird populations all over the US, Canada & Puerto Rico.

For the past two years I have joined my sister and counted the birds during the weekend.

This year we had both a male & a female Anna's hummingbird at our feeder.

Down by my garden, the chickadees and nuthatches thrive near the edge of the forest.

We have large flocks of Mourning Doves on our property. Today's final tally included:

• 9 California Quail
• 2 Turkey Vultures
• 40 Mourning Doves
• 2 Anna's Hummingbirds
• 2 Northern Flickers
• 8 Steller's Jay
• 1 Western Scrub Jay
• 10 Black Capped Chickadee
• 1 Red Breasted Nuthatch
• 1 European Starling
• 3 Spotted Towhee
• 10 House Finch
• 4 Pine Siskin
• 10 Dark Eyed Junco
• 2 Golden Crowned Sparrow
• 1 White Crowned Sparrow