Feb16-19 Great Backyard Bird Count

[BIGFRANK]

I hope alot of board users will be out over the weekend and participate in The Great Backyard Birdcount. Dont let the name fool U,U can count anywhere,your yard,local park,anywhere! The webpage has details,its a simple way we can help. http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc I look forward to seeing some good reports from participants!

[Napper]

Yes! BIGFRANK

I submitted a report yesterday and today.

There has been an xplosion of activity in my back yard. Mild weather.. Birds everywhere..
 :lol: Napper :lol:

yard full of Junko's

[Julia]

So I spent the weekend up at the church (which is more like a cottage shaped like a church - or a church shaped like a cottage - long story, but it's ours and it's nice) counting birds for this thing.

This winter's been kind of slow - no evening grosbeaks, no purple finches, not even any white-breasted nuthatches.

BUT...

After two full years of calling to me from just beyond where I could see him, and showing me only his back as he flew away, the local pileated woodpecker spent half an hour pecking away at the very base of a Tamarack not twenty feet from the church window.  I spent half an hour dancing around the church crying and driving my family crazy going "Look at the woodpecker!  Look at the woodpecker!"  

Afterwards we went to inspect the tree.  He'd actually been sitting on the ground in the snow pecking at it, and excavated two very deep holes.  And he left behind a great big woodpecker poo!  I know, I know, that's kind of a weird thing to get excited about, but he's been shunning me for TWO YEARS.  I feel like I just met Kevin Bacon.

I proudly entered "1" under Pileated Woodpecker on the Birdcount website.

Julia

[BIGFRANK]

Glad both of you,took part and enjoyed spotting what was around. I popped over to my local hotspot,and though fresh snow kept running-shoed BIGFRANK from exploring extensively I did have some excitement. I found an Eastern Screech-Owl,which Ive seen consistantly this winter. It was sitting in an evergreen,more obscured from sight this occassion then others Id been. Hoping it might move into a better viewing spot,I left the immediate area,taking shelter under some cedar trees,out of the owls view. 20 min later,as I stood watching the tree,the sky and the multitudes of Gray,Black and Red Squirrels,I saw the shadow of a small raptor.  I stepped forward,scanning the sky and it came into view,an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk. It made a b-line for the position of the Screech-Owl,landing on the same branch with it. The male Screech-Owl(Newfie I call him),took better cover moving closer to the trunk and an even more obscured position. The Sharp-shinned Hawk then took off. All of this took place in mere seconds.  Excitedly I made my way from my "hiding spot" to where I could properly view the owl and was happy to see all was well.  Seeing Newfie was OK,I again moved well away to observe him. Figuring this excitement would keep him hidden,I left shortly after. Although I wasnt anywhere near him,I didnt want to add stress to the poor fellow.

[Anonymous]

Hello all, here's my report from Saturday at the backyard feeder.

Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Mourning Dove 2
Downy Woodpecker 3
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Blue Jay 2
Black-capped Chickadee 5
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2
European Starling 5
Dark-eyed Junco 16
Northern Cardinal 3
House Finch 2

BigFrank - a sharp shinned and a screech owl on the same branch!  You are one lucky dude.  The sharp shinned that I saw was chilling out on a tree eating something which I assume it must have taken from a nearby feeder.  Glad to see everyone had a great time this weekend!

Attila

[Walter Sobchak]

Here's what I had on Saturday in my back yard.  

Mourning Dove 1
Downy Woodpecker 1 (a first for my backyard in the middle of treeless suburbia)
Blue Jay 1
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Dark-eyed Junco 10
American Tree Sparrow 15
House Sparrow 6
Northern Cardinal 3
House Finch 2
American Crow 3
Tufted Titmouse 1 (Not too sure about this one...I didn't get a good look but it didn't look like anything else)


The Tree Sparrows knock down the seed from the feeders and the Junco's seem to eat most of it.

[Napper]

Hey
Today I submitted  2 rolling counts .. roadside in Toronto, Roadside in Mississauga..
I spotted a Coopers hawk along the 401 Just West of Keele Street that was "cool".
In all I reported 7 Redtail hawks, 4 American Crows plus the "Coopers" for the ride home.

Weekend at the feeders was very busy  
Junko's   (many)
Chickade's (many)
Couple of Tree Sparrows,
2 Cardinals
1 Bluejay
2 American Crows flying around
1 Coopers hawk (two attempts at a kill yesterday. )
1 Redtail soaring behind the house.
3 Goldfinches
2 house finches
Too many Doves

The Cooper's Hawk made a couple of passes directly behind my backdoor at about 7 feet above the deck. The second pass scared the wits out of my House (inside only) cat as she sat by the backdoor watching all of the feathered ones in the back.

Napper
  :lol: