The count for the 8th of Feb was: zone 4-433 zone 5-3665 zone 6-2872 zone 7-2464 zone 8-1218 zone 9-224 I am using the "posted by" date to add these up so if you did jugs yesterday but posted today I'm gonna use todays date for the count. That way I don't have to go back and add jugs to a day and redo that days count :-) Total for all zones is ten thousand eight hundred seventy six! -B

Thanks, Jane. Mass Audubon and the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences (which started out as the Manomet Bird Observatory) have probably increased awareness of birds in Eastern MA. Besides, we have the advantage of harboring both shore and land-bound birds. It's fun to check out other towns and states to see what we have in common, and what outlandish birds (by New England standards) some people see every day. The Hawaii State Tally is a mix of wonderful sounding names and birds we also share. They saw Elepaio and Omao and Red-billed Leiothrix and Rock Pigeons and House Sparrows. Today is my second count day for Project FeederWatch, so it's back to the Downy Woodpeckers and Blue Jays and Northern Cardinals and Song Sparrows ..... Claire

I just figured out the dearth of birds in my yard---for today at least! Just went out to cover my WS stuff and tuck it back into its corner, and then took a walk around the yard to pet some of my spring bulbs and toasted perennials, and, lo and behold: a pile of feathers! Not sure how I missed it, but at some point today a hawk or falcon came for a visit---and a meal! I even found a foot with a bloody leg attached where it had been ripped off of the body! It was a house finch that "it" got, but I really wonder what IT was! Apparently even if I didn't see it, the birds did! Overall I had a very "slow" day. Never saw more than one robin at a time, but I did see both the male and female hairy woodpeckers, and I did see ONE goldfinch! Really hoping for better luck tomorrow---for me AND the birds! Bonnie, when I first moved up to this end of town 120th was the "end" of the city, and it was wild and wooly up here with big old cottonwoods over the fields of prairie dogs along 120th. At the time I was working at the garden center in Westminster where I was before Paulino's, and I took 120th all the way down to Federal, and then Federal south to 92nd. It was common for me to count a dozen bald eagles along the way between home and work! WAY cool! Now, of course, it's all citified and there are no more big, old trees or empty fields---and no more eagles! I'm guessin' they've all moved over to Rocky Mountain Arsenal! The Birds! The Birds! Skybird

Nothing exciting, NHBabs, just the regulars and in some areas less than I'd hoped. I visited several areas along the Cape Cod Canal hoping to see the huge raft of ducks riding the current that I'd seen in the past. I probably timed it wrong because I only saw a few birds, including this red-breasted merganser preening. I checked the local marsh hoping for green-winged teals but saw mostly mallards and Canada geese. Mallards and the regulars at home were just that, the regulars chowing down. Exciting sightings, though, are great for the observer but the data-base is happy with more information on the regulars. Large flocks of crows are really impressive! One spring (I think it was spring - not GBBC) I too saw large numbers of crows flying overhead heading north and cawing. It fascinated me to see the local crows fly up to meet them, fly along a bit, and then drop down again. I was imagining them saying "Great to see you! How's the family! Have a good trip! Bye now!" Claire