The Great Backyard Bird Count

Today was the third day of the Great Backyard Bird Count, a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, and Bird Studies Canada. It was the first day that I was able to actively participate, and help my sister count. I spent a good deal of time looking out our dining room window. Directly in front of this window we have placed a peanut feeder and a suet feeder. They both are busy with customers, from dawn to dusk each day. I was pleased to catch a good picture of a female Northern Red-Shafted Flicker. Later on in the day, she returned with a male. Unfortunately, they are quite easily spooked and I wasn't able to get a picture taken before they left.

At one point I had a large group of Stellar's Jays at both feeders. As always, they were making a loud racket.

While not a welcome bird at our feeders, I did count this European Starling. I do have to admit they have a lovely pattern on their feathers. If only they weren't so destructive to our native birds.

Here was the "father in my cap" today - I spied a Varied Thrush at the suet feeder. Normally an insectivore in the summer months, we have had at least one Varied Thrush at our suet feeder the past few months.

A Song Sparrow that the Suet feeder.

Towhees are another frequent visitor to our peanut and suet feeders.

The Scrub Jays are another frequent visitor to the feeders. Normally a "city" bird in this area, we have seen an increase of them at our feeders over the past few years. They seem to be adjusting to country life just fine!

This little Black Capped Chickadee was cleaning up fallen seeds on the walkway.

Now, here is a first for our Backyard Bird Count - Evening Grosbeaks! In past years our Evening Grosbeaks have returned for the year sometime in April. This year, we spotted the first one on January 14th. Since that time, the flock has slowly grown and grown. We are a bit confused but thrilled to have them back and hear that familiar "churr" chorus each morning.

We know that we have at least 20 Evening Grosbeaks back so far this year. At his point, we are seeing predominantly males, with just a scattering of females.

While this isn't the best picture, it is proof that we had two Red-Tail Hawks circling overhead this afternoon. They were quite comfortable in each other's presence, so we were speculating that they might be a mating pair. While they circled overhead, all of the songbirds left the feeders and headed into the brush for cover and safety.

Here is one of today's total count:

• (1) Scrub Jay
• (4) Stellar's Jay
• (10) Junco
• (2) Chickadee
• (2) Towhee
• (3) Mourning Dove
• (11) California Quail
• (1) Anna's Hummingbird
• (1) Northern Red-Shafted Flicker
• (2) Song Sparrow
• (12) Evening Grosbeak
• (6) House Finch
• (1) Robin
• (1) Starling
• (1) Varied Thrush
• (2) Red Tailed Hawk

Solomon thanks you for stopping by the Great Backyard Bird Count. He will be assisting with count once he wakes up from his afternoon nap!

Springing Forward & A Welcome Visitor

During one of our many hailstorms this afternoon, a male Northern Red-shafted Flicker "Colaptes Auratus" appeared at our suet feed. Last year it wasn't uncommon for the flickers to visit the suet feeder and we had many, many that worked the ground and trees around our house. This year the flickers have been few and far between. All Winter we have had Red-tail and Cooper's Hawks patrolling the sky. Their constant presence has forced the flickers to move down the hill and into the forest. However, in the last week or two, I have been awakened in the morning by the sound of a flicker hammering on the roof above my bedroom. And now this handsome fellow is back at the feeder.

I had never noticed before the downy feathers that seem to cover his legs. They have such beautiful markings.

I was a bit nervous taking the pictures because I didn't want to scare him off but I shouldn't have worried. He was really enjoying the suet and didn't pay any attention to me.

The Great Backyard Bird Count

This weekend marks the annual Great Backyard Bird Count . From Friday February 18th through Monday February 21st,  birders of all skill levels are invited to take 15 minutes out of their day to record what birds - in what numbers - they find in their backyard. The GBBC is put on by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society in conjunction with Canadian partner Bird Studies Canada. By gathering data from all over North America, scientists are presented with a "snapshot" of real-time bird populations. This information lets the scientists understand how different species are handling the effects of Winter, how they are combating diseases such as West Nile Virus, and gives them an idea how the timing of this years migration might compare to last years. I learned of this count late Friday and talked my sister into giving it a go. She started on Saturday and submitted her results and I joined in for the count today. We have 6 bird feeders on our property. Within view of your house windows we have 4 feeders filled with seed and 1 with suet. These bird feeders primarily attract birds suited to open areas such as meadows & fields. They also receive a smattering of forest dwellers who quickly eat before flying back to the edge of our woods. The 6th feeder is a seed feeder that I have down by my big garden. It is edged by Douglas Fir and primarily has the forest dweller as customers.

I spent a lot of today in our Dining Room looking out the window at the suet feeder. I was thrilled when I heard the familiar "chip" of a Hairy Woodpecker. Soon afterward this female showed up. She flitted back and forth from the suet feeder to the mullein stalks. But then................

her partner joined her! He has a very striking red patch on the back of his head.

I was so pleased to have seen both sexes together on the day of the count. The last time that I saw them both at the feeder was at Christmas, while we were enjoying our dinner. But then it only got better..........

Excuse me, I have a reservation here....... A male Red-Shafted Northern Flicker joined the party!

I have never seen three members of the Woodpecker family together at any of our feeders before. Between the suet feeder and the dead mullein stalks, there was plenty of food for everyone and they all seemed to get along quite well.

Northern Flickers are fairly common on our property year around. But from a-far, as I normally see them, you just can not appreciate fully the beautiful colors and patterns on their feathers.

This guy was aware that I was watching him but didn't seem to concerned about it.

He even managed to share the suet feeder in good humor. As you can see, he is noticeably larger than the Hairy Woodpeckers.

And, to prove I didn't spent my whole day at the suet feeder, here is a handsome Mourning Dove at one of the seed feeders. They are ground feeders and do a good job cleaning up all of the spilled food underneath the seed feeders.

When the days was all done, we took our tally sheet and sent in our day's count on-line. Here is what we could 100% identify correctly that we saw today. There we other birds, mainly in the finch family, that we have great numbers of, but can't identify without question.

• 2 Red-tailed Hawks
• 1 Anna's Hummingbird
• 2 Hairy Woodpeckers
• 1 Downy Woodpecker
• 1 Red-Shafted Northern Flicker
• 1 Pileated Woodpecker
• 8 Steller's Jay
• 2 Western Scrub Jay
• 8 Black-capped Chickadee
• 36 Mourning Dove
• 1 American Robin
• 1 European Starling
• 3 Spotted Toehee
• 12 Dark-eyed Junco