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Sunday, February 20, 2011

Great Backyard Bird Count

This morning I took 45 minutes after breakfast and did the Great Backyard Bird Count by walking around the house and yard looking and listening to the birds. It was barely jacket weather and partly cloudy, a good time to look for birds. The website did not say if you could count birds by calls, they always do on the many Christmas Bird Counts I have been one in the past.

Here is the list which the GBBC mistakenly listed us as Durham County, our Post Office is in Durham County yet we live in Orange County. I could not find a way to correct this county error. A good list of 25 species of birds were found during my 45 minutes counting. While working in the yard later I saw 2 Pine Siskins on a feeder, heard a Mourning Dove and Pileated Woodpecker. I was happy to see 2 Hairy Woodpeckers and 2 Golden-crowned Kinglets during the count

Canada Goose1 heard calling
Turkey Vulture2
Red-shouldered Hawk1 heard calling
Red-bellied Woodpecker4
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker1
Downy Woodpecker2
Hairy Woodpecker2
Northern Flicker1
American Crow4
Carolina Chickadee4
Tufted Titmouse6
White-breasted Nuthatch3
Brown Creeper1
Carolina Wren1
Golden-crowned Kinglet2
Eastern Bluebird1
Pine Warbler1
Chipping Sparrow1
Song Sparrow1
White-throated Sparrow35
Dark-eyed Junco15
Northern Cardinal8
Purple Finch8
House Finch1
American Goldfinch20

We planted in the vegetable garden today, stay tuned (ok stop back then)for a report of what
was planted. Three new crocuses bloomed and I planted another new hellebore.

9 comments:

  1. What a wonderfully long list. Spring is really beginning to spring around your way. I can't wait to see the post about what you have planted in the veggie garden.

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  2. One day I would love to be confident about IDing House Finch vs Purple Finch.
    I haven't done my formal list yet. Saw a couple hawks today, a handful of Black Vultures, numerous Gold Finches, two or three Bluebirds, one Pileated Woodpecker, multiple Canada Geese, and lots of Mourning Doves. The feeders (while they don't attract too many) were empty, so filled them today and will count tomorrow.
    Do you get Indigo Buntings? We had some this summer or were they Evening Grosbeak? Hard to tell as they fly from one wooded area to another.

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  3. Hazel,

    We planted a lot, the next post will have a garden plan with it.

    Janet,
    Summer equals Indigo Buntings, we get them once in a while. Evening Grosbeaks would be a rare winter visitor, very rarely we get them. Female House Finches are easy to tell from Purple Finches. Males not so easy.

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  4. Anonymous6:33 AM

    I admire your ability to identify the birds, Randy, especially by calls. A good count and nice variety. We have the same sorts here. We love them all! :-)
    Have a great week, hope this weather holds!
    Frances

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  5. We did ours Sunday, too. I knew we had a lot of birds since they are going through the seed like crazy, but we were surprised at our total number. Goldfinch was our highest category.

    Jan
    Always Growing

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  6. Really enjoyed looking through your photos. I am your new follower. I just started my blog, stop by and watch as the season progresses and I add more photos.
    Goldenray Yorkies

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  7. That's a lot of birds! Wonderful! -- I wonder though: How do you know if it's two birds or one bird popping up two times :-) We don't get so many goldfinches here - seasonal maybe. I'd love to be putting in a veg garden but we are living in critterville, and it would require a lot of caging of veggies, or killing of critters, or both!

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  8. cant wait for spring, have lots of flowers to come

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  9. I'm impressed you know all those birds and their calls. Very impressed.~~Dee

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