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The Great Backyard Bird Count


February 14-18 has been designated the Great Backyard Bird Count.  People who love birds are encouraged to count birds they see, and they can document them through an online application.  Having us count will give scientists and bird enthusiasts an idea of where the birds are. Bird populations are dynamic with wide distribution changes. There are way too many birds for just a few people to try to keep track of.




I love watching birds and I keep food out for them, but I'm really not too good at identifying them. There are several bird identification books in my house that I use to identify our little visitors.


Since her retirement, my friend, Steph, has become a bird expert.  Her yard, with all the feeders and bird baths, are a magnet to them.  She catches them in photos, sometimes, and shares them with us.

This weekend, she had a flock of cedar waxwings stop by her place.  They were probably migrating north and won't be around for long.  Here are two of her photos that she shared.



We're calling her backyard "Steph's Bird Paradise". Thanks, Stephanie Brown, for sharing these photos with us.

Most days, I see a flash of red against barren tree limbs and the gray sky...my beloved red birds can sure brighten up a winter's day.


 
 

Comments

  1. lil red henFebruary 18, 2013 at 12:16 PM

    I love watching the little birds, finches I think, as they flutter around on the ground as well as the feeder. I also have redbirds, and now and then a red-headed woodpecker. With all the feeding here on the farm, of cattle and chickens, birds don't really need to be fed in a feeder, but I like to have one so I can watch them from the window. Yesterday I saw a pair of bluebirds scouting out the cross beams of the clothes line pole; they usually have a nest inside.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Faith, Folklore, and FriendsFebruary 18, 2013 at 5:32 PM

      I saw a beautiful blue bunting this afternoon, but he was gone before I could get a photo.

      Delete

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