Bird Counting Weekend

[Dot_Forrester]

Hope it's not too late to add FLICKER to my Sunday bird count. We saw them often when I lived in Oswego NY but this is the first one I've ever seen in my yard here, enjoying a cool drink from the birdbath.

Dot in PA

[Patti from Kentucky]

You know, that made me realize I haven't heard any chickadees this weekend.  They must be on their way to wherever they go for the winter...

I think Chickadees typically stick around all winter -- they cache seeds and nuts to get through the winter when there aren't as many insects and caterpillars to eat.  There have been some interesting studies about Chickadee brain growth during the caching period...

[Patti from Kentucky]

OK...here's my final list for the weekend:

Bald Eagle (1 immature)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (1)
Mourning Dove (2)
Rock Pigeons (> 10)
Blue Jays (2)
American Robin (2)
European Starling (> 10)
House Sparrow (5)
Great Blue Heron (12)
Turkey Vultures (19)
Black Vultures (5)
Canada Geese (18)
Double-crested Cormorants (18)
Caspian Tern (5)
Mallards (11)
Northern Cardinal (1)
Great Egrets (3)
Killdeer (7)
Osprey (1)

[Dumpsterkitty]

You know, that made me realize I haven't heard any chickadees this weekend.  They must be on their way to wherever they go for the winter...

I think Chickadees typically stick around all winter -- they cache seeds and nuts to get through the winter when there aren't as many insects and caterpillars to eat.  There have been some interesting studies about Chickadee brain growth during the caching period...

They may not go far, but they leave this little patch of yard about the time the juncos arrive, so it seems a bit early to me.  Or maybe the juncos are late.

I'd love to read that...not much time for scholarly pursuits lately. 

[Dumpsterkitty]

I saw more of the same today...mourning doves, titmice, blue jays, crows. 

I did see one string of Canada Geese heading west toward the reservoirs.  And a chicken.

Also among the domestic birds was a bunch of ...not sure if they're small white geese or large white ducks.  The only time I ever see them is on a Sunday morning on my way to work.  The farmer in question lets them roam around the front yard then.  And I'm always moving too fast when I see them to stop & get a picture.  Some of them have light gray wings, the others are all white as far as I can see.  I did a quick browse of Cornell & I don't see anything that quite matches. 

[~Ruth]

My weekend list:
Blue Jay
Robin
Downey Woodpecker
Flicker
Seagull
RT Hawk
Turkey Vulture
House Finch
Pigeon
Geese
Grackels
Cardinal
          plus a ground hog, squirrel and rabbit

[carla]

I posted the list,but my computer stopped.I try to post again tomorrow.
Greetings Carla

[Donna]

2 Wild Turkeys tonight at my brother in laws house. Was actually looking for the Bears that the neighbors feed.   but they were there earlier. Saw mom and baby deer too. I was happy.  

[imkakkingmad1]

I forgot to post that I saw pelicans the other day too. They follow the Illinois River to migrate south. They're very cool to watch, with their flight patterns and the way two or more groups join together and keep going!

Helen P.

[schlaf374]

My List for Saturday & Sunday are the same as my  Friday list

[Dumpsterkitty]

And one more post from Yahoo from Jan in CT

Re: Bird Counting Weekend

Well, those P.O.d blue jays were making lots of noise again this morning. I
guess some neighbor must have let the cat out! I also heard the neighborhood
cardinals talking to each other. Then, after grocery shopping, we were
motivated to buzz the beach. The action there included many sea gulls (two of
them tried to get hit by our car but failed), Canada geese, an egret and one
swan in the distance. Also heard lots of LBJs at the grocery store. Probably
house sparrows.

This Bird Counting Weekend was fun. Thanks Aafke!

Jan in CT

[Aafke]

Thanks everybody for sending your birds.
Are there new members who saw birds this weekend, please send your list.
Donna and Ei thanks for sending the relevant posts from the KFC.
Carla can you already send your list?
I'm busy with making the total list.
Everybody can still send their weekend list!!!
I was out for 2 days and saw lots of birds.
greetings Aafke

[carla]

OK I will try Again,

1 Kestrel
1 Buzzard
3 Magpies
10 Blue tits
10 Great Tits
6 Cormorants
8 Lapwings
80 Golden plovers
10.000 Coots
8 Swan families with 4,5 or 6 juvies
100 White Swans swimming in between the Coots
20 Great crested grebes
50 Jack daws sleeping in the tree next to my house and keep me awake.
200 Greylag Geese in flocks and in the grasslands.
I think I forgotten a few but this is the third time I try to post and hope it will work out.

greetings carla

[Carol P.]

Jeeez, Carol P! Make us all feel bad, why don't you?! You could at least have put the list in taxonomic order while you were at it...

 

Um, wow, I quit?     

Oh, no!  Don't quit!  Like I said, I just happened to be in Montezuma for the day on Saturday.  Otherwise, I would have only had a very short list.  Just good timing.   

[~Ruth]

Forgot to put down:  Nuthatch, a bunch of sparrows, a flying heron, a couple noisy crows