Results are in -- Great Backyard Bird Count

Resident great egret at neighborhood pond.

Anna's hummingbird on the trail near the house.

Cinnamon teal pair -- female leading, male behind.

The results are in -- Steve and I spent two hours this afternoon, participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count (a bit of an accomplishment, considering Steve has a bad cold). The weather was cooler than last year and we didn't see quite as many birds, but we still had a nice afternoon. In all, we recorded 32 species -- a total of 273 birds. Spotted our favorite kingfisher, but he wouldn't hold still long enough for Steve to snap a pic. Also reported a pair of red-shouldered hawks, who appeared to be nesting (or preparing to nest) in an oak scrubland not far from the trail.

Great Backyard Bird Count Just Two Weeks Away

The annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), sponsored by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, will be held February 15-18, just two weeks away. During the event, bird watchers of all ages and expertise count birds for four days to help scientists determine the distribution and abundance of birds throughout the U.S. and Canada. Prior to the count, bird watchers can print a checklist for the birds in their area from www.birdcount.org. We’re asked to count birds in our backyards, or at local parks, ponds, marshes, or wildlife refuges, keeping a separate list of counts for each day, and then entering the results via a link on the website.

Last year, birders submitted 81,003 checklists tallying 11,082,387 birds and 613 species.

The 10 most commonly reported species were:

1 – Northern Cardinal

2 – Dark-eyed Junco

3 – Mourning Dove

4 – Blue Jay

5 – Downy Woodpecker

6 – American Goldfinch

7 – House Finch

8 – Tufted Titmouse

9 – American Crow

10 – House Sparrow

I’ve downloaded my checklist, and though I can’t wait to get started, I promise to hold off until February 15!