Great Start to Project FeederWatch

Yesterday started my sixth season to count birds for Project FeederWatch and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. There were a total of 18 species to visit my feeder area at the new house. This is significantly more than seen at the apartment last year when I was lucky to see double digit species and the average was maybe six. The 18 species this weekend is even higher than seen during the last season at the old house.

What is even more amazing is the lack of birds that tend to commandeer the feeders such as house sparrows, grackles, starlings and house finches. I hope this continues throughout the winter, but I don't dare tempt fate. I'm sure it could change at a moment's notice as the weather changes.

The first day, Saturday, was beautiful with sun all day and temps in the upper 60's (F). Early there was a flurry of Carolina Chickadees and Tufted Titmice coming to the feeders and taking seeds to stash around the yard.

Carolina Wren

Today was overcast and colder. Bird activity was very low in the morning but picked up in mid-afternoon. The larger birds noisily and furiously dominated the scene as the American Robins appeared to be defending their territory in the neighbor's magnolia tree from Blue Jays, a Mockingbird and Grackles.

Carolina Chickadee

The total count this weekend:

• Mourning Dove 3
• Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
• Downy Woodpecker 2
• Northern Flicker 1
• Blue Jay 2
• Carolina Chickadee 3
• Tufted Titmouse 5
• Carolina Wren 2
• American Robin 12
• Northern Mockingbird 1
• White-throated Sparrow 4
• Dark-eyed Junco 4
• Northern Cardinal 9
• Common Grackle 2
• House Finch 4 (0 with eye disease)
• American Goldfinch 1 (0 with eye disease)
• House Sparrow 2
• Eurasian Tree Sparrow 3

• TOTAL: 18 Species & 61 Individuals
  

Tufted Titmouse

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