Great Backyard Bird Count is back and more important than ever

Eastern Bluebird

Counting is Caring: Join the Great Backyard Bird Count

The 23rd Annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) begins next  week on Valentine’s Day, Friday, February 14, and continues  through Monday, February 17. And when the latest science shows  that two-thirds of North American birds are threatened by climate  change, there is no better time to get involved. The GBBC is a free, fun, and family-friendly way to  support bird conservation. Here’s how it works: spend as  little as 15 minutes on one or more days of the count tallying birds  in your community, and then submit your lists online. The data  collected by volunteers from around the world powers conservation  initiatives and helps us better understand how climate change will  impact the birds we all love. All it takes is 15 minutes to make a difference. To learn how to  participate in this year’s Great Backyard Bird Count click HERE.  Snow Geese More posts about GBBC HERE

Great Backyard Bird Count 2019 ~ WW

At least I know why all my song birds aren't around anymore.

This guy has set up a "bird blind" in my Podocarpus!

He thinks he owns the backyard!

The raccoons haven't been around,

if he's keeping them at bay, he can stay!

Great Backyard Bird Count 2018 ~ WW

An Exciting Sighting!

Checklists Submitted:   172,151       

 Total Species Observed:   5,869         

 Total Individual Birds Counted:   27,160,822

                 Statistics last updated on March 1, 2017

The weather wasn't very cooperative for The Great Backyard Bird Count this year for our area. Disappointing to say the least.

A few of the regulars stopped by in between the 

wind and rain storms.

House Finches

They used to nest in the front Rose covered arbor, 

but stray cats found it easy to climb and raid the nests :(

Now they have live in my backyard Gazebo

 which is to difficult for cats to climb, 

plus the dogs keep them out of the backyard :)

They have several nests in my Rose and 

Honeysuckle Gazebo. It's densely covered 

so the Finches are much happier now.

I only prune the side and 

let the top run wild for the birds :)

 Of course, the Scrub Jays had to stop in 

and play in the pond waterfall ~ raining or not

One of the pair of Eurasian Collared Doves 

came out for a short time.

It was so windy it just sat on the fence.

This is the 3rd year they have nested in my Podocarpus.

It's very, very dense towards the top,

they feel secure in there.

All the birds in my yard disappeared!

Everything got quiet.

THEN I had a very big surprise!

All of a sudden a Coopers Hawk landed on my garden bench!!!

It was a beaut! 

After the bench, it hopped over to the bird bath, 

poked around then took off. 

That was my excitement for the weekend!