• Bird Feeders,  Glass Bird Feeder,  Uncategorized

    What’s Your Count? Here’ Ours-Sans the New Glass Bird Feeder

    Glass bird feeder with large perching area entices many different species of songbirdsActually ceramic and oh so mod, this glass bird feeder offers great versatility.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    We counted on Monday, the last day for the 2014 Great backyard Bird Count. Had the event been last week-during the ice storm, more species would’ve been recorded. A warm sunny day saw a bit less activity at feeders than the first half of February when treacherous weather brought a slew of new visitors to this North Georgia yard. But with this warmer weather and the first glimpse of spring… a new glass bird feeder or two always helps to celebrate!

    Stationary, the count was limited to the backyard where most of our feeders and baths are placed. Superior habitat occurs with mature pines, shrubs and hardwoods. By the way, the greatest benefit to glass feeders is the non-porous surface. Bacteria and mold can not penetrate surfaces like wood, this makes them healthier for birds. Plus they’re much easier to clean.

    No woodpeckers today at the new glass bird feederBut back to the count: Again this year, participation increased over last with 131 countries reporting checklists, as opposed to 110 last year. Although data is still being entered, here’s a brief overview of country, number of species reported, and the number of checklists for that country. Pretty impressive!

    United States    643    112,281
    Canada    234    12,340
    India    806    3,195
    Australia    492    854
    Mexico    658    451
    Costa Rica    554    165
    United Kingdom    155    150
    Puerto Rico    113    150
    Portugal    177    134
    Honduras    335    104

    Here’s our list for a 30 minute count: 22 species… not too shabby 🙂

    • Mourning Dove 4
    • Red Bellied Woodpecker 1
    • Downy Woodpecker 1
    • Hairy Woodpecker 1
    • Eastern Phoebe 1
    • Blue Jay 2
    • Carolina Chickadee 3
    • Tufted Titmice 6
    • White-breasted Nuthatch 2
    • Brown-headed Nuthatch 1
    • Carolina Wren 2
    • Eastern Bluebird 2
    • Chipping Sparrows 9
    • Cardinal 6
    • Robin 3
    • American Goldfinch 11
    • Eastern Towhee 2
    • White-throated Sparrow 1
    • Pine Warbler 8
    • Yellow-rumped Warbler 2
    • European Starlings  2
    • American Crow 3

    Cornell’s data won’t be complete until the end of the month, but they’ve listed some noticeable trends:

    Fewer Finches
    After last year’s “superflight,” this year’s GBBC reports for 10 irruptive species (mostly finches) are down considerably. This includes reports for the White-winged and Red crossbills, Common and Hoary redpolls, Pine and Evening grosbeaks, Pine Siskin, Purple Finch, Red-breasted Nuthatches, and Bohemian Waxwings. These are believed to be natural fluctuations in numbers because of variation in seed crops.

    Snowy Owl Invasion Continues
    A massive irruption of Snowy Owls into the northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and Great Lakes States of the U.S., as well as southeastern Canada, is easily seen in GBBC numbers. Preliminary results show participants reported more than 2,500 Snowy Owls in 25 states and 7 provinces of the U.S. and Canada!

    The Polar Vortex Effect
    The frigid cold in many parts of North America has resulted in unusual movements of waterfowl and grebes. With the Great Lakes almost completely frozen, some species, such as the White-winged Scoter and the Long-tailed Duck, have fled the frozen lakes and stopped at inland locations where they are not usually found at this time of year.

    You can still count birds!
    Project FeederWatch is a winter-long survey of birds at your feeders. The lab is offering a 2-for-1 to join this fun project now.

    You can always count birds!
    Anytime, anywhere in the world you can report bird sightings through eBird. Use the same user name and password you used for the GBBC and keep on counting at eBird.org.
    The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a nonprofit membership institution interpreting and conserving the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. Visit the Cornell Lab website at www.birds.cornell.edu

    Audubon is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports them. Our national network of community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in conservation. www.audubon.org

    Bird Studies Canada administers regional, national, and international research and monitoring programs that advance the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of wild birds and their habitats. We are Canada’s national body for bird conservation and science, and we are a non-governmental charitable organization. www.birdscanada.org

  • Uncategorized

    GBBC 2014: Get Ready-Get Set-Count… Just 15 Minutes – this weekend!

    The 17th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count wants you!
    For just 15 minutes on any day from February 14th-17thGreat Backyard Bird Count Wants You!

     It’s open to everyone, regardless of experience, a fantastic science project for grades K-12 too. Do it this year… for the birds, for science, and for fun!

    Folks from more than 100 countries are expected to participate in this year’s Bird Count. Anyone  can count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more of the specified days and enter their sightings at www.BirdCount.org.  The information gathered by tens of thousands of volunteers helps track the health of bird populations at a scale that would not otherwise be possible.  The GBBC is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society with partner Bird Studies Canada. Great for educators and class projects; kindergarten thru high school, it gets kids outside and involved with the nature! We’ll be posting results online via links to The Cornell Lab once the count has ended!

    Last year’s Great Backyard Bird Count shattered records after going global for the first time. Participants reported their bird sightings from all 7 continents, including 111 countries and independent territories. More than 34.5 million birds and 3,610 species were recorded – nearly one-third of the world’s total bird species documented in just four days.

    It’s easy to get started… just a few simple steps

    A more in-depth video from The Cornell Lab explains how to take part, why participation is needed, and what we can learn from the count.
    It’s actually bigger than you think, and you really do matter!