Cold, Wet Winter Weather Hampers Back Yard Bird Count
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| by Glynn Wilson |
| One of four American gold finches spotted during the Great Backyard Bird Count of 2006 |
So far, the most interesting sighting around here has been the presence of four gold finches. I managed to snap a few photos of one on Sunday afternoon. While I really need a larger lens to do this professionally, I will be trying to set up a blind in the yard for the Spring bird migration in the hopes of getting some better pictures with my Nikon D50 with a 200 millimeter zoom lens.
There is still time on Sunday afternoon and Monday to dress warm and get outside to see the bird's hanging out in your yard and contribute a bit of data for the science of birds in your area.
For a bit of motivation, check out this story and photos on the Great Backyard Bird Count of 2005.
Last winter, birders across North America reported more than 6.5 million birds, shattering the previous record of 4.8 million set in 2002. Participants submitted nearly 52,000 checklists, up 22 percent from 2004, and tallied 613 bird species, surpassing the previous record of 567. More than 1,000 photos were considered for the new online photo gallery, which features birds seen from around the continent during the count. At the GBBC web site, you can visit the photo gallery, explore the results, and view the top-10 lists.
Comments
I live in Oneonta, Alabama and love to watch the birds, I also feed them. But there is one that I think is so pretty but no one can tell me what it is. Hopefully if I can describe it, you can tell me what it is. It isn't a very big bird, it's head, wings and back are a bright blue and it's chest is a redish tan. Thanks for your help.
Judy Hatcher
Posted by: fast2write | February 20, 2006 11:45 AM
Sounds like a male eastern blue bird to me...
Sialia sialis
Family: Turdidae, Thrushes
Description 7" (17 cm). Bright blue above and on wings and tail; rusty throat and breast; white belly and undertail coverts. Female similar, but duller.
Habitat Open: woodlands and farmlands with scattered trees.
Nesting: 4-6 pale blue eggs in a loose cup of grasses and plant stems in natural tree cavities, old woodpecker holes, fence posts, and bird boxes.
Range Breeds: East of Rockies from southeastern Canada to Gulf of Mexico; also in mountains of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Winters in southern part of breeding range. Also in Mexico.
Voice: Call a liquid and musical turee or queedle. Song a soft melodious warble.
Discussion: This beautiful bird is a favorite of many people and is eagerly awaited in the spring after a long winter. In places where bluebird nest boxes are erected and European Starlings and House Sparrows are controlled, up to six pairs of bluebirds will nest on as many acres. In the past 25 years bluebirds have become uncommon in the East for reasons not altogether clear. Competition for nest sites with European Starlings and House Sparrows is likely a critical factor. The erection of many artificial nest boxes in recent years seems to be helping to increase the population.
http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?allSpecies=y&searchText=blue%20bird&curGroupID=1&lgfromWhere=&curPageNum=4
This link may be too long for you. If so, I have some links to bird guides online from this page:
http://www.locustfork.net/birds/
Posted by: fast2write | February 20, 2006 11:48 AM