I'll be counting all 4 days. I count for Project Feeder watch every week (Sunday-Monday) anyway and will use the data for both counts.

Winters are long and dreary here, watching and counting the birds helps pass the time and has also helped hone my bird-watching skills (which are still pretty basic).

This sounds like fun! I'll be participating for sure.
Thanks for the info!

Donna

Thanks for the reminder! I usually participate but had forgotten it is this weekend. I did Project FeederWatch for years-way before I had a computer but haven't done it the last 3 years. We are supposed to get more snow so it should be good for feeder birds. I still have not had Purple finches, juncos or siskins this season. There have been reports in & around my town but I haven't seen them.
Susan

I'm counting, as I have for the last two years. I'll count in my yard first and then I'll take a walk and/or drive around the neighborhood. I'm within walking distance of a beach and a marsh and I may drive to the Cape Cod Canal to see what birds are floating back and forth with the current. I won't do this all in one day, but I have four days to spread the counts around.

I love to go online and see the counts appear on the map as they're entered all over the US and part of Canada.

Claire

Here's my list from today - got all species that I was expecting except for blue jay (which I heard but didn't see.) The other couple that would have been additional possibilities would be cedar waxwing and bald eagle (they regularly fly over my house.) But I did get my fox sparrow, and all 5 expected species of woodpecker.

Number of Species: 18
Number of Birds: 47

Checklist:
Mourning Dove - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Hairy Woodpecker - 4
Northern Flicker - 1
Pileated Woodpecker - 1
American Crow - 7
Black-capped Chickadee - 3
White-breasted Nuthatch - 2
American Robin - 8
European Starling - 1
American Tree Sparrow - 1
Fox Sparrow - 1 Confirmed
Dark-eyed Junco - 4
Northern Cardinal - 3
House Finch - 3
American Goldfinch - 2
House Sparrow - 1

--
Liz in Bloomington, MN

Oh I am so jealous! Look at that list of birds! How wonderful! I spent a while looking at your feedercam, that can be quite addicting! I surely will keep up to see what kinds of birds others get. I just have a hawk. Anyone want to trade??

Some of the birds, especially the smaller ones, come and go so quickly it is difficult to get a count. As a result, I have listed my count in two ways, the overall estimated count and what I listed as a confirmed count. The confirmed count is the number of birds we could see at one time.

This list is very typical of what I see every day except where noted

February 14, 2010

Youngstown, Ohio (3.5mi S.W. Of point where Interstate 80 crosses Ohio/Pa line)

Weather- Overcast with occasional snow flurries temp 25 degF
Total snow accumulation on ground 16"

At Feeding Station in yard
------------------------------------------------------
Morning Dove (at dawn 46 roosting in maple tree) Ground feeding throughout the day

Northern Cardinal 10am 25

Blue Jay 10am 17

Red Bellied Woodpecker 10am 3

Downy Woodpecker 10am 2

Hairy Woodpecker 10:30am 3 males and 3 females

White-Breasted Nuthatch 10am 5

Red-Breasted Nuthatch 11am 1 (First sighting this season)

Tufted Titmouse 10am 7

House Wren 11:45 1 (Third sighting this season)

American Goldfinch 3pm estimating 27 (19 confirmed together)

Purple Finch 11am 1

Black Capped Chickadee Estimating 40+ (noon- 23 confirmed at same time)

Carolina Chickadee estimating 25+

Dark Eyed Junco 2pm estimating 20+ (14 confirmed on ground at 2pm)

House Wren 1 on tray feeder at 2:15

Tree Sparrow 5

Field Sparrow 1

Song Sparrow 3

House Sparrow estimating 35+

European Starling Estimating 60+ in flock at 3pm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Red-shouldered Hawk 4pm 1 perched on dead tree overlooking meadow behind house

Crows Flock 5pm on old stand hardwood trees across the road. Estimating 500+

First, I have to say that I am VERY jealous of lists on this posting! :) I will probably never see that many birds here in my yard/extended yard. And I really congratulate my fellow participants on their diligence in keeping track of so many birds - a lot of work!

Secondly, participating in this count has been a revelation for me: before last June noone at our house had ever put up a feeder or kept track of the birds in our area. Then I put up some feeders and we realized all the birds that have been living around us all along, of whom we were completely unaware! And although I am well aware that the birds can take care of themselves 99% of the time, putting out food and water, and planting shrubs and flowers that they love has encouraged a sense of stewardship here, for our little piece of the planet. I'm thinking that beyond our enjoyment of the birds, that is a wonderful and unexpected outcome. And the help and encouragement I have received from everyone on this forum has helped that immeasurably.

Best to all my fellow Bird Watchers Forum buddies -

Donna

We don't get a large variety of birds here. We had finches but I think they went south for the winter. Today we had:
chickadees - 15
tree sparrows - 8
blue jays - 1
mourning dove - 1
hairy woodpecker - 1
downey woodpecker - 1
european starlings - 20, they come in flocks in afternoon.

Yesterday's count for me -

Blue Jay - 9
Eastern Bluebird - 5
Downy Woodpecker - 3
Hairy Woodpecker - 1
Red Bellied Woodpecker - 1
Goldfinch - 6
House Finch - 3
Cardinal - 3
White breasted Nuthatch - 1
Tufted Titmouse - 3
Chickadee - 2
House Sparrow - 3
White Throat Sparrow - 1
Junco - 5
Crow - 3
European Starling - 1
House Sparrow - 3

These are the usual suspects, although the numbers are down for some species. This year there are so many more Blue Jays than any year before - there are probably closer to 12, but they're hard to count, flying every which way. They might discourage the smaller birds, and the Bluebirds usually wait until the Blue Jays are someplace else to come for the suet nuggets.

Here's a visitor to my feeders this morning - landing in his favorite beat up spot on the burr oak tree next to the feeders. Took this quick shot through the back patio door.

More photos of my back yard birds and of course don't forget to check out my online feeder cam! ;)

I've submitted three counts so far - one of my yard for Friday, Feb. 12, one for the local marsh on Saturday, Feb. 13, and one more of my yard for Saturday, Feb. 13. These reports are as submitted (emailed back from GBBC)

First Report
Locality: 02360, Plymouth, Plymouth County, MA
Observation Date: FEB 12, 2010
Start Time: 6:45 AM
Total Birding Time: 1 hour
Party Size: 1
Skill: good
Weather: excellent
Snow Depth: Less than 2 in (5.1 cm)
Habitat(s):
deciduous woods
coniferous woods
scrub
rural
freshwater
salt water
Number of Species: 17
All Reported: yes
Checklist:
Wild Turkey - 15
Mourning Dove - 23
Downy Woodpecker - 1
Blue Jay - 5
American Crow - 4
Black-capped Chickadee - 1
Tufted Titmouse - 1
European Starling - 3
Song Sparrow - 2
White-throated Sparrow - 4
Dark-eyed Junco - 6
Northern Cardinal - 9
Red-winged Blackbird - 13
Purple Finch - 1
House Finch - 3
American Goldfinch - 15
House Sparrow - 20

Second Report
Locality: 02360, Plymouth, Plymouth County, MA
Observation Date: FEB 13, 2010
Start Time: 2:30 AM
Total Birding Time: 15 minutes
Party Size: 1
Skill: good
Weather: excellent
Snow Depth: Less than 2 in (5.1 cm)
Habitat(s):
deciduous woods
coniferous woods
scrub
rural
salt water
Number of Species: 5
All Reported: no
Checklist:
Canada Goose - 125
American Black Duck - 3
Mallard - 2
Green-winged Teal - 3
Hooded Merganser - 1
Comments ----------------------------------------
Drive by sightings at Shifting Lots Preserve (adjacent to Ellisville Harbor State Park)
-------------------------------------------------

Third Report
Locality: 02360, Plymouth, Plymouth County, MA
Observation Date: FEB 13, 2010
Start Time: 7:15 AM
Total Birding Time: 1 hour
Party Size: 1
Skill: good
Weather: excellent
Snow Depth: Less than 2 in (5.1 cm)
Habitat(s):
deciduous woods
coniferous woods
scrub
rural
freshwater
salt water
Number of Species: 17
All Reported: no
Checklist:
Wild Turkey - 13
Mourning Dove - 17
Downy Woodpecker - 1
Blue Jay - 13
American Crow - 3
Black-capped Chickadee - 3
Tufted Titmouse - 1
Hermit Thrush - 1
European Starling - 5
American Tree Sparrow - 1
Song Sparrow - 3
White-throated Sparrow - 6
Dark-eyed Junco - 12
Northern Cardinal - 7
Red-winged Blackbird - 5
American Goldfinch - 16
House Sparrow - 25

*****************************************************************************
I have another neighborhood count almost ready to submit for today, but I've emailed a few photos to a local guru for identification. There are some birds I've never seen before and I'm not sure if I've identified them correctly.

Claire

sissyz: Yes, the feedercam is addictive - I have two monitors on my computer at work and I watch it all day long.

Someday I'll get a second camera so I can have one at the ground level too. ;)

I'm going to do this for the first time today. I've never done it before. I guess I can include the two Eastern Screech owls in my nest box even though I can actually see them at the moment. I know they're in there as I saw them leave the box to hunt at dusk last night.

I meant to say I can't actually see the two E. Screech owls at the moment, but I know they're in the box. Would it be fine to include them in the list?

I would think that would be fine; they are established with a home base in their nest box; and you did see them last evening, so you can use that as your starting time if you choose. In any case, I would think it would be more helpful to a count like this one to have the info that a pair of these owls is residing where you are. Go for it! :)

Okay, thanks for the input chicadeemelrose. I never participated in the count before because I knew I might see a few birds I couldn't positively i.d., but now I realize I can count the ones I am able to i.d., at least. I think I can i.d. most birds in this area, except for a few sparrows that I get mixed up on.

You don't have to ID all of the birds you see - there's a note on the submission form that asks if you counted all of them. I've said no a few times when I wasn't sure what they were.

Also, you can write a comment, so you can explain about the nest box with the hidden Eastern Screech Owls. GBBC has regional representatives so they will contact you if they have questions.

I agree, go for it!

Claire

A sighting only indicates that the bird is there at the moment the count is taken. That could result from normal habitation and migratory practices but it might also result from a temporary change on the other hand a confirmed nesting definitely indicates that particular species is remaining in the area. In my humble opinion a confirmed nesting is even more valuable information than just a casual sighting.