Great Backyard Bird Count 2012

I didn't see a thread for this yet, so thought I'd start one.

The count starts Friday 17th and ends Monday 20th. It's fun and free
http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/




This message was edited Feb 16, 2012 9:10 AM

I participate but was peeved with them last year as they said I wasn't counted as a counter. My zip code is a sub-dividion of our town. annoying.

yah that sounds weird.

My list for today. I will go to the lake and add another list this evening.

Cooper's Hawk - 1
Eurasian Collared-Dove - 2
Mourning Dove - 25
Belted Kingfisher - 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Northern Flicker - 1
Blue Jay - 5
Carolina Chickadee - 4
Tufted Titmouse - 2
White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
Carolina Wren - 2
House Wren - 8
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
American Robin - 10
Northern Mockingbird - 1
Brown Thrasher - 1
Cedar Waxwing - 75
Orange-crowned Warbler - 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 1
Chipping Sparrow - 1
Field Sparrow - 1
Fox Sparrow - 2
Song Sparrow - 3
White-throated Sparrow - 6
Dark-eyed Junco - 5
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - 10
Northern Cardinal - 9
Common Grackle - 2
House Finch - 6
American Goldfinch - 9
House Sparrow - 5

You have been out & about. congratulations!

Amazing list Duck!

I just got so lucky! I knew that I had Brewer's Blackbirds around b/c the other day, I saw one call and compared with the calls on Cornell site and it was spot on for Brewer's. I can't always be sure that it's a Brewer's and not a really small Common Grackle. Today, first day of the GBBC, heard one calling and saw a female feeding right next to a female Brown-headed Cowbird! They were almost identical except that the Brewer's was so much bigger, and her dark eye separates her from other female Blackbirds. Here are a couple of pics. The first one has the cowbird right next to her. In the second one, the cowbird is off to the left and the Brewer's is surrounded by female Red-winged Blackbirds.

Now if the Bronzed Cowbird and Pine Warbler would just show up, I'd have a pretty complete day. I've been in the mood to garden today though, so I keep scaring the birds away. Must control myself!

Good for you. all I had at the feeder were 3 black capped chickadees & a tufted titmouse. I have to go to a meeting tomorrow so everyone will come into the yard.

Great, Elphaba. Thanks, iris.

This evening's list at the lake...
Snow Goose - 1
Canada Goose - 28
Wood Duck - 3
Mallard - 23
Redhead - 1
Ring-necked Duck - 2
Lesser Scaup - 40
Pied-billed Grebe - 10
Horned Grebe - 2
Great Blue Heron - 1
American Coot - 2
Ring-billed Gull - 7
Eurasian Collared-Dove - 3
Mourning Dove - 12
Belted Kingfisher - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Downy Woodpecker - 1
Northern Flicker - 1
Blue Jay - 3
American Crow - 3
Carolina Chickadee - 6
Tufted Titmouse - 1
White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
Carolina Wren - 1
House Wren - 4
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 1
American Robin - 7
Northern Mockingbird - 1
Brown Thrasher - 1
European Starling - 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 15
Chipping Sparrow - 2
Field Sparrow - 2
Song Sparrow - 4
White-throated Sparrow - 10
Dark-eyed Junco - 4
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - 4
Northern Cardinal - 6
Brown-headed Cowbird - 2
House Finch - 6
American Goldfinch - 2
House Sparrow - 10

add a white brested nuthatch for me. wow, you have been busy. My birds were just on the feeder.

A friend of mine just saw the Snowy Owl this morning. I'm driving up there tomorrow when the weather is better. Hope its still there! It's been 10 years since a Snowy has been seen in Texas and that was up in the panhandle. This one is near Dallas. I'm just itchin' to go!

Just took these pics of a very wet Cooper's Hawk. If there had been even a bit of sun, I would so have entered these in the contest, but they are too dark and gray. Still, how funny looking is he!

Away from the house today.

Well, I have counted birds each day, but I have not been able to post results until this morning. I will have to put off today's count until this evening when I get home from work.

I have taken a gazillion pictures but thought I would only post two ;o)

Redhead Drake Blue Morph Snow Goose

Beautiful shots dm!!

I love the pictures. My bird count from the feeder was a bust. Sat looking out the window off & on & enjoyed a tufted titmouse--that was it. I think with our lack of snow cover that the birds found other sources of food. & the birds will show up giggling tomorrow.

Beautiful pics Duck!

Iris, that always happens to me. It wasn't a total bust this year but several birds that I see every day did not show up. My theory is that other people are doing the GBBC and have filled their feeders, so the birds are more spread out.

Wish I'd taken a photo of all the birders lined up taking pictures of the Snowy Owl for the GBBC contest. It was like a scene straight out of the Big Year.

Thank you! I wish I could have seen a snowy owl...or an ivory billed woodpecker!

Today, the day after the birdcount, 3 gold finches showed up. Serves them right that they are not know to be there.

Ha…Iris, We had about 1/2 inch of snow yesterday morning and so of course a bunch of birds showed up. I had okay numbers through the count, but not a lot of species. So yesterday I could have added a few more! rats.

Well, it is going to be 78 degrees here today! So I will not see nearly as many birds. Too bad they don't have a squirrel count. I have oodles of those today!

78!!!! Are you kidding me?

Actually, it got up to 83!

41 here but a really high wind with higher gusts. Can't you see the fun if we were trying to rake up leaves?

Maybe they will blow into the neighbor's yard ;o))