3 Common Redpolls just simply is not enough to satiate my hunger!!

After having a fantastic day of birding the day before with Kirk in numerous locations across northeastern Massachusetts, you'd think I would have had my weekly fill of our fine avian friends. However, there was one bird in particular that I just simply had to see more of! After having seen a report online this morning on the Massachusetts Birding List by Willy Hutcheson of the numbers of Common Redpolls being seen at the feeders near the Thoreau School in West Concord, I just had to try and see more of these wonderful winter finches! So, just prior to the rains moving in, I arrived at the aforementioned location that I had visited yesterday with Kirk by 12:20 pm. Having waited for 15 minutes with only a lone American Goldfinch at the feeders, a few Redpolls moved in to chow down. But minutes later, the whole rest of the flock maneuvered in! Only a few more alighted on the feeders, the rest of the brethren (over 70 birds!) perching themselves in the deciduous trees forming a perimeter around the grouping of feeders! All of them were quite communicative and flitty, moving as a whole over my head from tree-to to tree-top! What a spectacular sight this all was, and surely I had gotten my fix for Redpolls.....at least for now!

Location:     Thoreau School, West Concord, MA
Observation date:     3/6/11
Notes:     Arrived at Thoreau School parking lot in West Concord by 12:20 pm to get my fill of observing Redpolls after getting my first taste at the same location the day before. Waited about 15 minutes before a few showed up at the feeders. Then a few minutes later, the whole flock arrived of at least 70 birds. I think it is safe to say the flock was larger than 70, but that is what I could count before my I lost track as they kept flying together around me from tree to tree that forms a perimeter around the feeders.
Number of species:     4

Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura     5
American Robin - Turdus migratorius     2
Common Redpoll - Acanthis flammea     70
American Goldfinch - Spinus tristis     3

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)


Today was also the day I usually spend time observing my own feeders here at home for Cornell's Project FeederWatch. I had missed Week 15's observance last Sunday due to being busy with family, visiting the Peabody Essex Museum. Nonetheless, today did not yield much in the total numbers of birds, but the number of species of birds in attendance is in keeping with the entirety of the FeederWatch observance to date, at least for the most part. My ever-present,  good little buddy, the Red-breasted Nuthatch, was still hanging around, taking its opportune moments to swoop in and score some black sunflower seeds. A Carolina Wren also came around, being as noisy and boisterous as ever!

Mourning Dove	4
Downy Woodpecker	1
Hairy Woodpecker	1
Blue Jay	1
American Crow	1
Black-capped Chickadee	7
Tufted Titmouse	4
Red-breasted Nuthatch	1
White-breasted Nuthatch	1
Carolina Wren	1
American Robin	1
Dark-eyed Junco	1
Northern Cardinal	2
House Finch	3
American Goldfinch	1

A weekend full of wonderful birding was had, and it had been some time since I have had such a memorable, full weekend birding (at least since January 1st of this year). So far, I have 5 new Lifers this year (Green-tailed Towhee, Spotted Towhee, King Eider, Great Cormorant, Common Redpoll), thusly, a great start! But me thinks I am being greedy, for I would still love to have Redpolls here at my own feeders before this winter is said and done! But that is just being selfish isn't it??! Anyhoo, good birding to everyone!!

Project FeederWatch - Week 14

Nothing terribly exciting or truly notable to report for this week's observance for Project FeederWatch. Most noteworthy aspect of today's watch was the somewhat sizable numbers of the Northern Cardinal (5), Tufted Titmouse (7) and the always noisy, feisty and aggressive House Finch (12). Still hoping one day one of those wily, elusive and nomadic winter finches will come along (ie Common Redpoll, Pine Siskin or White-winged Crossbill), but I don't hold out much hope. As always, below is the full list of my time spent admiring the local birds. Happy birding everyone!!

Mourning Dove	2
Downy Woodpecker	2
Hairy Woodpecker	2
Blue Jay	2
Black-capped Chickadee	6
Tufted Titmouse	7
Red-breasted Nuthatch	1
White-breasted Nuthatch	1
White-throated Sparrow	1
Dark-eyed Junco	5
Northern Cardinal	5
House Finch	12
American Goldfinch	3

Another Species of Towhee and Today's Project FeederWatch Observance

Not many new Life birds yet this year (too much damned snow to venture out too much), but this year of 2011 has gotten off to an amazing start all the same! Yesterday (02/12/2011), Kirk Marshall and myself headed up north a bit (a little over an hour from my home here in Littleton) to Carolyn Grummon's abode in Peterborough, NH to get ourselves the 2nd new species of towhee this year, a Spotted Towhee!! We arrived there a little after 10 am, and within minutes, Kirk got on this venerated bird. He was chillin' in some thickets just behind the myriad of bird feeders that Carolyn has set up! He gave us superb looks before he flew off to another section of the Grummon's property! Much thanks must be given to the graciousness and generosity of Carolyn and her husband, for the only way we could best see this lovely Spotted Towhee was via inside their home. We felt obliged to bring some delicious doughnuts from Gourmet Doughnuts out of Townsend, MA on our way to Peterborough, NH to compensate for such kindness, though I must say it pales in comparison to the grandeur of the towhee and the friendliness of our hosts!


So, for those whom want to venture out to Peterborough, please call Carolyn in advance to set up a time to visit and to get directions! Their number is as follows: 1-603-924-7027. These folks are very friendly and obliging to let us fellow birders into their home to see such a rarity in these parts! Both the Spotted Towhee and the Green-tailed Towhee that Kirk and I observed at Sachuest Point NWR in Middletown, RI back on January 1st, are western species. From what I understand, this Spotted Towhee seen in Peterborough is only the 3rd such record of the bird in New Hampshire!


Other birds seen were typical backyard birds seen in the winter time, and thus, no other real highlights to mention, both for in Peterborough and here at home for today's Project FeederWatch observance. So, both sightings lists are below......enjoy and happy birding folks!!

Location:     121B Old Town Farm Road, Peterborough, NH
Observation date:     2/12/11
Notes:     From what I understand, this sighting of a Spotted Towhee is only the 3rd record in NH. Was seen a little after 10 am at host's residence (Carolyn Grummon) in Peterborough, NH. Excellent looks for a few minutes before it flew off to a different section of the Grummon's property. Has been seen over the past 6 weeks with regularity, according to Carolyn, though from what I saw on the NH Birds List, it has only been reported for the past 2 weeks or so. Simply gorgeous bird (male) with the characteristic white spots on back and white wing bars, the deeper chest than that of Eastern Towhee, and the bright coloration as compared to duller colors of a female.
Number of species:     11

Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens     1
Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus     1
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata     7
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     9
Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor     4
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta canadensis     1
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis     2
Spotted Towhee - Pipilo maculatus     1
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - Junco hyemalis hyemalis/carolinensis     3
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis     2
American Goldfinch - Spinus tristis     3

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Mourning Dove	2
Downy Woodpecker	1
Blue Jay	5
Black-capped Chickadee	6
Tufted Titmouse	5
Red-breasted Nuthatch	1
White-breasted Nuthatch	1
White-throated Sparrow	1
Dark-eyed Junco	6
Northern Cardinal	4
House Finch	8
American Goldfinch	3

Project FeederWatch - Week 12

For this weekend, I not only submitted my weekly sightings during today's observance to Cornell for Project FeederWatch, but also for Mass Audubon's Focus on Feeders citizen-science research program. And thankfully, this weekend was a bit more interesting than weekends past due to the following: There were 2 Red-bellied Woodpeckers in attendance! One female near the top-center of the dogwood tree that is closest to the suet feeder in our front yard, and one male just a few feet below her. Both would take turns chowing down on the suet feeder nearby! Fucking loved it because they are my favorite woodpecker, with their bright colors and their awesome "chiv-chiv-chiv" call that always amuses me! However, the most notable bird observed today was the presence of an adult Cooper's Hawk that had swooped into our front yard in the same aforementioned dogwood tree. One moment I am looking at 2 Mourning Doves perched on this tree, the next moment, after looking away, watching the Celtics beat up on the Magic, I see a Cooper's Hawk in their place! Unfortunately for the Coopers, the doves got away, but fortunate for me, because it was a first here at home! Gorgeous raptor!! Anyhoo, below is my full listing, happy birding everyone!!

Cooper's Hawk	1
Mourning Dove	7
Red-bellied Woodpecker	2
Downy Woodpecker	2
Hairy Woodpecker	1
Blue Jay	3
Black-capped Chickadee	8
Tufted Titmouse	5
Red-breasted Nuthatch	1
White-breasted Nuthatch	2
Carolina Wren	1
European Starling	1
Dark-eyed Junco	5
Northern Cardinal	3
House Finch	12
American Goldfinch	5

Project FeederWatch - Week 11 - The Day After Nothingness in VT!

Today's numbers were lower than they have been the past several weeks, but the numbers of species and bird totals FAR exceeded the birds Kirk and I tried to see yesterday up at Wenlock WMA in Ferdinand, Vermont! We were virtually "skunked", and I say virtually because we DID see 4 Black-capped Chickadees, but in my books, that equates to zilch when your hoping for at least a few boreal species that can sometimes be found in a boreal forest this time of year! Christ, Kirk and I thought we would see something of interest considering a year ago in January of 2010 we had plenty to make our mouths water. That day we went for our target bird (and got it), which was a Northern Hawk Owl, and we also chanced upon several Boreal Chickadees, a Gray Jay (my 2nd all-time favorite bird), a few Red-breasted Nuthatches and we heard several White-winged Crossbills but could not get on any of them, sadly. What a difference a year makes....and yes, that day in Jan of 2010, we did have BC Chickadees as well.....yay. You can see the aforementioned usual suspect EVERY day no matter where you are in New England. Yes, I am sure you can sense my frustration, and the fact that all this snow we are getting and will be getting (3-6 on Tuesday, 12-18 on Wednesday/Thursday possible this week) is driving me bonkers!


Nonetheless, our trip yesterday was a welcome adventure, just to get out in nature amongst the beautiful pristine climes of a boreal forest in the winter. So, today, when I did my observance for Project FeederWatch, I was secretly hoping for perhaps a Pine Siskin or Common Redpoll, maybe even a WW Crossbill.....but I didn't expect it, and did not receive such awesomeness today. My ever-present buddy, the lone Red-breasted Nuthatch was around and kickin', and we had only our 2nd American Tree Sparrow of the season in attendance today. And yes, that European Starling is still hanging around as well, but that isn't too surprising given the fact that there is a flock of over 200 of them not too far away from where I live. Anyhoo, my full list of sightings is below, and happy birding to all, for I know those winter finches are starting to creep around more and more as of late....you elusive, nomadic little buggers!!

Mourning Dove	4
Red-bellied Woodpecker	1
Downy Woodpecker	2
Hairy Woodpecker	1
Blue Jay	3
Black-capped Chickadee	7
Tufted Titmouse	3
Red-breasted Nuthatch	1
White-breasted Nuthatch	1
European Starling	1
American Tree Sparrow	1
White-throated Sparrow	1
Dark-eyed Junco	3
Northern Cardinal	5
House Finch	8
American Goldfinch	3

Project FeederWatch - Week 10

Nothing of terrible significance to report in terms of this week's observation for Project FeederWatch. All the same species seen last weekend were seen today, though of course in varying numbers amidst the chilly temperatures. This isn't unexpected to say the least, for most of the time you will typically have the usual suspects in attendance (ie: chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, cardinals, goldfinches, juncos, etc).


Nonetheless, I must say I am becoming a bit antsy, a little bit frustrated. I am desperately hoping some sort of winter finch of significance would make its presence known. Yes, we did have 3 Purple Finches one weekend back in December, and a cadre of House Finches have been hanging around for a while. But it is the more unusual and more interesting finches that I am hoping for, like Common Redpolls and Pine Siskins. I had word that this year might be a good year for irruptive species like redpolls, siskins and perhaps even Evening Grosbeaks, which have unfortunately seen a steady decline in their population and range over the past 50+ years. I certainly haven't given up hope for this season, considering I still have until April 8th, which is when Project FeederWatch will close up shop for the year.


Plus, its not like I haven't had the fortune of having such birds as Pine Siskins or Purple Finches show up here at home. 2 years ago it was an irruptive year for siskins (they showed up several times in late February through early March), and purples were more numerous that year at the feeders as well. On the other hand, last year was a huge downer, for only a small handfull of House Finches had shown up. I just need to be patient and ever-vigilant during the course of the next 12 weeks, and I most certainly will be! Anyhoo, enough ranting and raving from me.....below is my full list of sightings.....happy birding to all!!

Mourning Dove	3
Red-bellied Woodpecker	1
Downy Woodpecker	2
Hairy Woodpecker	1
Blue Jay	4
Black-capped Chickadee	9
Tufted Titmouse	7
Red-breasted Nuthatch	1
White-breasted Nuthatch	2
Carolina Wren	1
European Starling	1
White-throated Sparrow	2
Dark-eyed Junco	4
Northern Cardinal	7
House Finch	6
American Goldfinch	3

Project FeederWatch - Week 9

Gonna be short with this week's observance for Project FeederWatch. As expected, all the usual suspects, nothing terribly unusual or uncommon. Highlights being as follows: 8 Northern Cardinals (all couples), the high number showing up at dusk; a good group of 16 House Finches causing a ruckus; 2 Carolina Wrens going back and forth between the front and back yards; the European Starling that showed up last week was present again at the suet feeder; and 2 faves of mine, that being 1 gorgeous male Red-bellied Woodpecker and the lone, ever-present Red-breasted Nuthatch! Below is the full listing, happy birding everyone!!

Mourning Dove	4
Red-bellied Woodpecker	1
Downy Woodpecker	2
Hairy Woodpecker	1
Blue Jay	4
Black-capped Chickadee	6
Tufted Titmouse	5
Red-breasted Nuthatch	1
White-breasted Nuthatch	1
Carolina Wren	2
European Starling	1
White-throated Sparrow	1
Dark-eyed Junco	2
Northern Cardinal	8
House Finch	16
American Goldfinch	5

Project FeederWatch - Week 8 (01/09/2011)

Yesterday's observance for FeederWatch sure was a blustery one, and still that didn't keep the birds down all too much. A fairly active period of time, and as always, its the usual suspects that are more in abundance than others. Still, a couple new bird species not noted in prior observations showed up, including this winter's first American Tree Sparrow and more unusually, a lone European Starling decided to stop by and gain some deliciousness from both the sunflower seeds and the suet. Yes, I know, its just a starling, and its an introduced species, but never had I seen a starling in our yard before. And yes, I know, its not like there could not have been an instance where a starling had shown up in the past, for I obviously cannot watch the feeders 24/7 year-round! Still, rather unusual in my opinion for here at home! Anyhoo, a Hermit Thrush was still in attendance as well, and thankfully, the Red-breasted Nuthatch is still kicking around! My full results from yesterday are below....happy birding folks!!

Mourning Dove	6
Downy Woodpecker	1
Blue Jay	6
Black-capped Chickadee	10
Tufted Titmouse	7
Red-breasted Nuthatch	1
White-breasted Nuthatch	2
Carolina Wren	1
Hermit Thrush	1
European Starling	1
American Tree Sparrow	1
White-throated Sparrow	1
Dark-eyed Junco	5
Northern Cardinal	8
House Finch	9
American Goldfinch	3

Project FeederWatch - Week 7 (01/02/2011)

After a fantastic start to 2011 being down in RI, 2011 continued to offer up some goodness during yesterday's observance for Project FeederWatch. It was mostly the usual suspects as is expected at the feeders during this time of year (or any time of the year really), but what was most remarkable to me was the presence of a lone Hermit Thrush chilling around the lilacs and holly bushes that surround the main tube feeder full of sunflower seeds. Certainly a bird that I was not expecting to see this time of year, though as I understand it, it is not entirely unheard of for a few Hermits to winter over this far up north. I know they winter regularly in the South, but up here to me is a bit out of the ordinary. Certainly was nice to see such a lovely bird again!


And speaking of thrushes, a handful (5) of American Robins were present, gulping down the bright red berries that the holly bushes yield every year. A large group of 11 Mourning Doves were in attendance again, and thankfully, the lone Red-breasted Nuthatch that had been in attendance for several weeks and had been absent over the past week, returned for an encore! Here is hoping my all-time favorite bird decides to stick around just a bit longer! Below you will find my full list of sightings....happy birding to all!!

Mourning Dove	11
Downy Woodpecker	1
Hairy Woodpecker	2
Blue Jay	2
Black-capped Chickadee	6
Tufted Titmouse	7
Red-breasted Nuthatch	1
White-breasted Nuthatch	1
Carolina Wren	1
Hermit Thrush	1
American Robin	5
Dark-eyed Junco	5
Northern Cardinal	4
House Finch	4
American Goldfinch	2

Project FeederWatch - Week 6 (12/26/2010)

During the beginning stages and the prelude to this holiday weekend's big snowstorm/blizzard (or as the media calls it: "The Blizzard of 2010"), I continued my participation with Project FeederWatch. And it surely was not disappointing. The birds knew something big was going down, for they were everywhere and in good numbers! And as soon as it started to snow steadily and the winds picked up some, they hunkered down and the activity dropped off dramatically late in the afternoon!


6 Northern Cardinals (4 males, 2 females) were around all day long; 9 Dark-eyed Juncos were meandering around the bushes on the ground, trying to dig up goodness with their feet; 13 Mourning Doves flew in together, again scaring all the other diners off; a gorgeous Red-bellied Woodpecker (mature male) scared off a pair of Blue Jays out front so he could get at the suet cakes; and most notably, 3 Purple Finches and a good grouping of 16 House Finches kept all other comers at bay for the privilege of eating at the main tube feeder full of sunflower seeds.


All in all, quite pleased with yesterday's observance of 16 bird species, totaling 77 birds altogether. As always, the full listing is below.....happy birding everyone and good luck digging out from this storm....we had 12 inches here in Littleton, and I know many other places got much more!

Mourning Dove	13
Red-bellied Woodpecker	1
Downy Woodpecker	1
Hairy Woodpecker	1
Blue Jay	5
Black-capped Chickadee	5
Tufted Titmouse	5
White-breasted Nuthatch	2
Carolina Wren	1
American Robin	1
White-throated Sparrow	3
Dark-eyed Junco	9
Northern Cardinal	6
Purple Finch	3
House Finch	16
American Goldfinch	5

Project FeederWatch - Week 5

Today in Week 5 of my participation in the 2010-2011 Project FeederWatch program featured the highest number of birds seen at any one time during the course of my observance today, that being 46 total birds compared to 43 from last weekend. The pair of boisterous and wicked cutesy (yes, I said cutesy) Carolina Wrens showed up today, eating all 3 varieties of birdy-goodness available (the black sunflower seeds in the main tube feeder; the suet cakes and Nyjer from the Nyjer seed tube feeder).


Woodpeckers were prevalent today, where 2 Red-bellied Woodpeckers made an appearance today, though only 1 can be counted for both were not together at the same time, unfortunately. 3 Downy Woodpeckers and 2 Hairy Woodpeckers also showed up.....too bad a Northern Flicker or Pileated Woodpecker didn't show up, or a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker for that matter (one had been seen a couple days ago in Framingham at a feeder).


For me, the biggest surprise of today's count was the number of Northern Cardinals that were around, 5 in all (2 males, 3 females) all at one particular moment in time during the course of my time watching the birdiness today. No matter how many times you see a Cardinal, I can always revel in the rich and bright redness of the male and the brown and subtle redness of the female!


Below, as always, is the full listing of birds seen....happy birding to all!!

Mourning Dove	5
Red-bellied Woodpecker	1
Downy Woodpecker	3
Hairy Woodpecker	2
Blue Jay	3
Black-capped Chickadee	8
Tufted Titmouse	7
Red-breasted Nuthatch	1
White-breasted Nuthatch	1
Carolina Wren	2
Dark-eyed Junco	5
Northern Cardinal	5
American Goldfinch	3

Project FeederWatch - Week 4

This weekend's observance featured the highest numbers of birds and bird species to date during my first go with Project FeederWatch, despite today's nasty weather filled with water and wind! 14 different species visited the feeders at our home (between 11:20 am and 4 pm), including the first White-throated Sparrow to visit during the Project so far. When White-throats first started showing up this season, they were seen for two weeks in a row prior to my joining up with FeederWatch. Since then, nothing seen until today.


A male Red-bellied Woodpecker made an appearance again, mowing down upon the suet before being driven off by Blue Jays. I found it highly amusing to see a small group of Mourning Doves (5 in all) flying in from across the yard all at once to the base of the main tube feeder filled with black sunflower seed, scattering the 2 Blue Jays, gray squirrels and a female Northern Cardinal that had been busy pecking away at the ground for sustenance at the time.


The biggest surprise for me was seeing 2 Carolina Wrens with each other scoping out the ground in the front yard around the base of the suet feeder. None were vocal, but I suppose I wouldn't want to be singing too much with the copious amounts of rain coming down today, and the fact that it is not breeding season!


Anyhow, here is today's full list of birds observed are below. Happy birding everyone!

Mourning Dove	5
Red-bellied Woodpecker	1
Downy Woodpecker	1
Blue Jay	2
Black-capped Chickadee	8
Tufted Titmouse	6
Red-breasted Nuthatch	1
White-breasted Nuthatch	2
Carolina Wren	2
White-throated Sparrow	1
Dark-eyed Junco	5
Northern Cardinal	3
House Finch	2
American Goldfinch	4

Project FeederWatch - Week 3 (12/05/2010)

This weekend of observing the feeders and environs surrounding them around our house featured 2 new species making an appearance and the return of a species of bird (American Goldfinch) that had been absent last weekend. A lone Brown Creeper (I love them "boids" to pieces!) as well as a lone male House Finch showed up during the course of my observance (from 11 am to 1:15 pm) before heading off to join all the nutjobs in purchasing Christmas gifts.


I just love watching Brown Creepers and their mannerisms! This amazing, bark-colored bird with curved-bill has the habit of walking (climbing) directly up a tree from the base-upwards in a spiral, gleaning insects from the crevices in the bark of the tree....then, when its had its fun, it will either fly back down to base of the very same tree to make sure it didn't miss anything or make its way over to the base of another tree, always spiraling upwards in search of deliciousness! Their habit of walking along the trunks and branches of a tree are similar to woodpeckers and nuthatches, but as noted early, are different for their upwards spiraling climb. Creepers will use their stiffened tail much like a woodpecker for balance and grip. But nuthatches can climb upwards AND downwards in any direction compared the aforementioned. All 3 families of bird species just enthrall me to no end!


Below is my full list for yesterday's observance! Happy birding to everyone out their!

Downy Woodpecker	1
Blue Jay	2
Black-capped Chickadee	7
Tufted Titmouse	4
Red-breasted Nuthatch	1
White-breasted Nuthatch	2
Brown Creeper	1
Dark-eyed Junco	5
Northern Cardinal	2
House Finch	1
American Goldfinch	4

Project FeederWatch - Week 2 (11/28/2010)

Nothing overly significant to report with this post....just want to keep a "journal" of sorts of my time participating in Project FeederWatch this year. Though I would imagine on a week-to-week basis that the numbers and variety of species of birds will not change very much. As it is for this weekend (Sunday rather), a very noisy and boisterous Carolina Wren and an always lovely little Red-breasted Nuthatch were the highlights of this week's observance! What was most pleasant was that the RBNH stuck around the black sunflower seed tube feeder during most of the time I watched the feeders, whereas the Carolina was here for a few minutes, flitting from lilac to tree to shrub, etcetera. And yes, the RBNH was making its cute, nasally little "anks"! Anyhoo, here is my full list of sightings around our feeders:

Mourning Dove	4
Downy Woodpecker	1
Hairy Woodpecker	1
Blue Jay	2
Black-capped Chickadee	6
Tufted Titmouse	5
Red-breasted Nuthatch	1
White-breasted Nuthatch	2
Carolina Wren	1
Dark-eyed Junco	3
Northern Cardinal	2

Project FeederWatch - Week 1

Just a fairly quick post here, something of which I will be attempting to do every weekend to give weekly updates on how my time participating in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Project FeederWatch is going. This is the 24th year running for this program instituted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada, and this year it will run from November 13th, 2010 up until April 8th, 2011. This is my very first time participating with this annual program (I have participated with Mass Audubon's Focus on Feeders program in the past, and I'll do the same this year when it comes time; this season it is the weekend of February 5th and 6th, 2011).


Below you will find a complete list of the birds I observed off and on from Noon-time today until dusk. Highlights were a female Red-bellied Woodpecker and a Red-breasted Nuthatch both visiting our suet feeder out in the front yard. Sadly, of the 3 American Goldfinches that visited the nyjer and black sunflower seed feeders today, one of them had contracted House Finch eye disease, otherwise known as conjuctivitis. Will definitely have to clean the feeders to be sure there is a lessened chance of spreading the disease, and if there happen to be several birds infected, I will have to take our feeders down for at least a full week. Anyhow, here are my sightings for the day (normally, during Project FeederWatch, an observer would try to watch the feeders for 2 consecutive days for any period of time, though if only one day can be done, then that day must have a longer protracted time of observance):

Mourning Dove	4
Red-bellied Woodpecker	1
Downy Woodpecker	2
Hairy Woodpecker	1
Blue Jay	3
American Crow	2
Black-capped Chickadee	8
Tufted Titmouse	5
Red-breasted Nuthatch	1
White-breasted Nuthatch	2
Dark-eyed Junco	3
Northern Cardinal	2
American Goldfinch	3    (1 with eye disease)

Cornell Lab of Ornithology Project FeederWatch Posters (.pdfs)

Hello again everybody! I received a newsletter email from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology today and via one of its links, I came across 3 awesome .pdfs of posters of birds featured in their Project FeederWatch program. One is of a poster of the Hummingbirds of North America, the others are posters of Eastern and Western Feeder Birds. Here are images of all 3:

And here is the link to download the FeederWatch posters for free: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/FreeDownloads.htm

Just wanted to pass along the awesomeness!