Species Count for Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4
Canada Goose 13, 80, 14, 0
Mallard 1, 0, 0, 0
Red-tailed Hawk 0, 0, 1, 0
Mourning Dove 3, 3, 1, 0
Barred Owl 2, 0, 0, 0
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2, 2, 1, 2
Downy Woodpecker 3, 3, 3, 2
Hairy Woodpecker 0, 0, 1, 0
American Crow 4, 2, 1, 2
Black-capped Chickadee 2, 2, 2, 3
Tufted Titmouse 1, 1, 1, 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 1, 1, 0, 1
Carolina Wren 0, 1, 0, 0
Eastern Bluebird 1, 1, 0, 0
American Robin 5, 6, 5, 9
European Starling 1, 4, 1, 1
Cedar Waxwing 3, 26, 9, 0
Harris's Sparrow 3, 10, 5, 8
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 4, 4, 6, 3
Northern Cardinal 2, 2, 2, 2
House Finch 2, 4, 2, 7
American Goldfinch 6, 21, 7, 7
As Bogie wrote, birding hasn't been all that great for the Great Backyard Bird Count this year - borderline pathetic. Where was the flock of turkey that we nearly always report? Where is our resident sharp-shinned hawk hiding...our great blue herons? The bright spots were getting to see such a large number of cedar waxwings and our (count 'em: two) pine siskins - the first of the season. Others reported purple finches, but we saw nary a one. Red-breasted nuthatch? It's been a few years!
Maybe I'll actually get out of the house, next year, and have something spectacular to report - such as the pileated woodpeckers that are invariably reported in Derby.
I'm surprised to see that we have so many birds in common. I'm not familiar with the pine siskin, or the Carolina wren, so I don't know if we have them. I don't think we have cedar waxwings, but I remember seeing them at my parent's place in Missouri. They used to get drunk on the juniper berries! At least two weeks ago we both saw robins, and they have never appeared so early in the year, especially when there was so much snow on the ground.
Too bad the turkeys, the hawk and the herons weren't at home for the count!
Posted by: buffy | March 02, 2011 at 07:56 AM
Buffy--I'm pretty sure that you have pine siskins, which normally hang out with goldfinches. You may be a bit north for the Carolina wren. Cedar waxwings? You should have 'em. I've not seen ours on junipers; but, there are no windows from which I would see them if they were in our junipers. That must have been a sight. Cedar waxwings do like the crabapple and choke cherry trees around here, and I frequently see them "flycatching" if it is warm enough for bugs to be on-the-wing.
I saw our first-of-season yellow-rumped warbler, this afternoon. They were reported in our ZIP during the GBBC.
Posted by: Cop Car | March 02, 2011 at 04:36 PM
I recall in the dead of a 1960's Central Ohio winter a bird variety at our birdfeeder -- lots of nuthatches, a cardinal or two, English sparrows, blue jays, others I no longer recall, along with gymnastic squirrels. Occasionally saw and/or heard a red-headed woodpecker in the woods behind us.
Posted by: joared | March 04, 2011 at 03:04 PM
Joared--Wow! I'm impressed that you recall as many of the species seen in the 1960s as you do. We used to have red-headed woodpeckers in our little town - in the 1960s. Now, it has been years since I've seen one because the red-bellied woodpeckers have moved in and driven the red-headeds out. I would love to hear a red-headed woodpecker call.
Posted by: Cop Car | March 05, 2011 at 08:34 AM