Do you keep a Backyard Bird List???

My backyard list:
Eastern towhee
Chipping sparrow Field sparrow House sparrow Song sparrow
Dark eyed junco
Northern cardinal
Red winged blackbird
Common grackle
Brown headed cowbird
Purple finch House finch American goldfinch
Red shouldered hawk
Rock dove
RT hummer
Red bellied woodpecker Hairy woodpecker Downey woodpecker
Northern flicker
Blue jay :)
American crow
Black capped chickadee
Tufted titmouse
White breasted nuthatch
Carolina wren House wren
American robin
Gray catbird
Northern mockingbird
Brown thrasher
European starling :(
And when I am on the lakes fishing I see:
Osprey
Loon- not so much
Geat blue heron :)
Canada goose
Mallard
Common merganser
And assorted gulls! Also many wild turkeys and the turkey vultures also!
Adel-one bro in Piedmont one part time in Alameda. Sisters friend in Monte Rio Two in San Francisco. I make it to Ca about 1x a year Been to MS 2x I heart Santa Cruz!
Resin there is not Mystery Spot in NJ :( I wish there was!

Irislover, try tempting your Hummingbirds to a nectar feeder by hanging some of that 'yellow' plastic "police" tape from Home Depot with it. Or some red plastic flowers from the dollar store. Especially if you don't have many red flowers in your garden.. I bet you will get some.

And the orioles will drink nectar too, so try a little in your jelly dish to sweeten up the grapefruit. And they are attracted to the color orange so try some orange ribbon or orange plastic flwrs there. I know, tacky, but some say it works to catch their eye.

I used to live in Alameda and have many friends in Piedmont (and Berkley) and daughter lives in SF (marina). I go to CA a few times a year, too. But don't know about the mystery spot!

Thanks for the tips, tabasco! :)

~Kris

Added Eastern Kingbird, Coopers Hawk (oversight on my part) and Carolina Wren so I am now heading towards the 60's. Garndmaggie you have Purple Finch on your list. There doesn't seem to be an easy way to tell the Purple apart from the House Finch. I have been looking at my House Finches and they seem awfully red this year, all the way down their back and sides. They still seem to have the brown striping on their sides which seem to be an indicator of a House Finch. I am on the edge of the Purple range and although I would like to check them off, I think I probably only have House Finches (really red or not)....

I am also hoping to track down a Brown Thrasher or two. I am on the edge of a large farm field; I have both Mockingbirds and Catbirds so where are the Thrashers? They are all around me, but not in my garden...what gives?

I need to add some plants that attract Warblers and other insect eating birds. Any suggestions?

BTW, my mulberry tree has been dripping with birds this year. This tree is a MUST for all bird lovers!

The purple finch will have a bright rosey red head whereas the house finch will have a brown cap (male). Yes all my birds love my mulberry tree also! :)