We have been counting birds for the Great Backyard Bird Count. It started on Friday and will continue through today. We have had all the usual customers at the feeders and a few surprises too!
The white-crowned sparrow usually feeds in our front yard in the forsythia bush which has a blackberry vine tangled in it with some of last summers berries all dried up and ready for eating.
The dark-eyed juncos are a frequent visitor to our feeders and they enjoy both the platform feeder and eating from the ground beneath it.
The hanging feeders were filled with sparrows, finches, and the occasional nuthatch.
Here is our official bird count for Friday:
- 5 Western scrub jays
- 2 titmouses
- 1 red-breasted nuthatch
- 1 spotted towhee
- 2 California towhees
- 6 white-crowned sparrows
- 12 dark-eyed juncos
- 1 house finch….probably more we just didn’t catch them when we were counting
- 7 house sparrows
Those were in the feeders but we also saw in our yard:
1 American crow
2 American robins
In our travels yesterday, we saw:
3 turkey vultures
40+ Canadian geese
6 wild turkeys
This is a great family project that we have participated in for the past three years. If you miss it this year, mark your calendars for next February so you won’t forget!