Great Backyard Bird Count 2009 - day 1 report

My first day of the GBBC got off to a slow start, but the second half of the day proved to be better.

I chose 2 different spots from which to count on Friday. One was a local park on the south side of Athens, very close to the Ohio University campus, and across the road a bit from the Hocking River. My second spot was the Athens Public Library, located on the east side of Athens and also very near the Hocking River.

Richland Avenue park, south side Athens

Dave joined me at the park, where we had our lunch and did some birding. Unfortunately, the birding was nearly non-existent. We stayed at the park for 40 minutes, and I only counted 4 birds. Of those 4, I only actually laid eyes on 1 of them - the rest were ID'd by ear only. Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed. I was also just flat-out surprised, as I didn't expect it to be such a dead zone. Plenty of trees around, a freshwater source nearby. Perhaps all the traffic had something to do with it? This park is located near a very high-traffic intersection, one of the main "entrances" to the city.


Richland Ave park

intersection of Richland Ave and State Rt 682, Athens, OH

My second location at the Library was much more subdued in terms of noise and traffic, but much more plentiful in terms of birds. The library is in a residential area, and the general area where I was counting is full of deciduous and coniferous trees, once again with a freshwater source nearby. When I decided on a spot from which to conduct my count, I was immediately rewarded with modest flocks of Robins and Starlings digging for worms and splashing in a puddle. I stayed at this location for only 25 minutes and counted 7 species of birds, and 57 individual birds. I was pretty happy with that.


Athens Public Library


Tree line adjacent to Athens Public Library

Looking out toward the Hocking River from the library

Count for Richland Ave park:
Northern Cardinal - heard only (1)
Chickadee - heard only (1)
Song Sparrow - heard only (1)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (1)

Count for Athens Public Library:
Turkey Vulture - flyover (7)
American Robin (15)
Northern Cardinal (2)
Northern Mockingbird (1)
European Starling (30)
Carolina Wren - heard only (1)
Song Sparrow - heard only (1)

As of this writing (on Saturday afternoon), the count for my own backyard is going very well so far today. We've got some outings planned for a bit later this afternoon, which I will report on later. Until then, happy counting!

Photos for my friends

My blogging friend Shelley (of Building a Log Cabin, among others) made a post the other day about the collection of bird houses that has sprung up in her log cabin. Here ya go Shelley, another one for your collection!

We got this birdhouse at Sturgeon River Pottery and Wild Bird Supply in Petoskey, MI. We go up to the Petoskey area every summer, and we love to visit this lovely little store. I have my own name for the store, though - I call it the "Whimsicosity Shop," because they have all kinds of great garden and birding accessories, some of which are quite... whimsical. Needless to say, I couldn't resist getting one of this little Michigan birdhouse when we were there last summer. We put it up in one of our flower gardens near the house.

Another "garden accessory" that we got when we there last year was this handsome devil. Dave picked this out. He's in our other flower garden, peeking out from the ferns. Our own yard Heron.

Oh man, I just had to scour through some photos from last August to find the artful heron, and it made my heart ache for something other than snow, cold, and grey skies. I was reminded of the beauty of water droplets on a fern after a lovely summer rain... here, have a look at what I'm talking about...

I know, I know... summer's a long way off... we've got to get to spring first, which is just around the corner... but a girl can dream, right?

Time for a new poll!

As I write this during my lunch break, I'm hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. A high wind warning has been posted for many counties in southeast Ohio, northwest West Virginia and northeast Kentucky, and there's a very good chance we could lose power this evening (AGAIN, for the 2nd time this month). If it's not ice, it's wind! I'll keep my fingers crossed that the power stays on, but just in case, I'm putting this post "in the can" now and scheduling it to go live this evening.


Thanks to all of you who participated in my last poll "Why do you bird?" The poll is now closed, and the results are as follows:

• To be/feel closer to nature: 5 votes (55.56%)
• Because it's relaxing: 3 votes (33.33%)
• To spend time alone: 0 votes
• To spend time with family: 0 votes
• To hone my observational skills: 0 votes
• "Other": 1 vote (11.11%) (the explanation of this vote was "to honor them", which I thought was sweet)

I didn't participate in the poll myself, but I will tell you that my own response would have been "All of the above". I listed the answer options in the poll pretty much the way they rank in importance for me. My "Other" explanation would be "to contribute my data to science (i.e. Project Feederwatch)".


This week's poll is another bird-related query: "How many bird feeders do you maintain?" My answer falls in the 6-10 category, with 8 maintained year-round (2 cage suet feeders, 2 tube feeders, 1 hopper feeder, 1 platform feeder, 1 peanut feeder and 1 nyjer tube feeder), and a 9th feeder brought out in spring for the hummers. As always, the poll can be found over in the sidebar, just below the live feedercam. I hope you'll participate!

By the way, stay tuned for information about an interesting and unique birding-by-ear opportunity here in Ohio that will be coming up at the end of May. I'll post more details when I have them.

Bird count hype

"Hear ye, hear ye! Let it be known that the Great Backyard Bird Count of 2009 commences this Friday, the 13th day of the month of February!"


"Why on earth are you talking so strangely, Mr. Jay? Just tell the people that this weekend is the time to count birds for science!"


"Okay, White-throated Sparrow. Did you know that you can count for all 4 days, or just one of the days? Yeah, that's right. Also, if you participate in Project Feederwatch during the GBBC days, you can submit your PFW counts toward GBBC, too (you will need to submit separate count sheets for both of your Feederwatch days, though)."


"Know what else, Pine Siskin? You can count all of the birds that you see, but you can also count birds that you hear (as long as you can ABSOLUTELY make a positive ID by call). You can also count flyovers if you can ABSOLUTELY make a positive ID on what you're seeing."


"Hey, White-breasted Nuthatch! We have to make sure to tell folks to put out plenty of food for the birds in their backyards! (And I'm sure some other critters won't mind the food, either! But you can't count us!)"


"Well Mr. Squirrel, we also want to tell people that there's a photo contest with lots of cool prizes like birdfeeders, binoculars, Audubon licensed products, and items from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. There's even a Wingscapes Bird Cam up for grabs!"


"Wanna know something cool, Mr. Junco? The Northern Cardinal has been the most frequently reported bird for the last 4 years of GBBC. Hooray for Ohio's state bird!"
Speaking of Ohio, here are some other Ohio stats from the 2008 GBBC:

• Mentor, OH submitted the 2nd highest number of checklists (460) for all reporting localities (Cincinnati submitted the 7th highest number with 282 checkists).
• Ohio submitted the 5th highest number of checklists (3,864) for all reporting states (that's up from 7th in 2007)

So, come one, come all to the Great Backyard Bird Count of 2009. To download a paper data form or regional bird checklist, to get info about tricky bird IDs, to see the photo contest rules, to learn how to get kids involved, and so much more, visit the GBBC's official site. Be sure to tell all your friends!

(All images manipulated in GIMP, the Gnu Image Manipulation Program, a free, open-source answer to PhotoShop.)

Humble appreciation

Last week I was notified by Kelly of Red and the Peanut that she had an award that she wanted to pass along to me. Kelly is a fellow Ohio birder who I met through the Nature Blog Network. She shares great stories and photos of the birds in her backyard and beyond, sometimes taking us to birding hot spots around Cincinnati. Her passion for birding is quite evident, and I feel honored that my Ohio neighbor chose my blog to be one among 5 recipients of the Dardos Award. Thank you Kelly!



Here's what the award is all about:

The Dardos Award is given for recognition of cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing. These stamps were created with the intention of promoting fraternization between bloggers, a way of showing affection and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web.

The rules:
1) Accept the award by posting it on your blog along with the name of the person that has granted the award and a link to his/her blog. [Note: Don't forget to copy and paste the award jpeg itself to include on your own blog!]
2) Pass the award to another five blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgment, remembering to contact each of them to let them know they have been selected for this award.

It’s hard to choose just a handful from such a huge community of great blogs out there, but I have narrowed my picks down to the following:


First, I have chosen to pass this award along to outstanding blogger (and another Ohio neighbor) Julie Zickefoose. Julie’s blog was the first blog I ever checked out, and it was her blog that got me to thinking, “Hey, maybe I can do this blog thing, too.” Not only that, but it showed me that a blog about nature is cool! Thanks for inspiring me onto this nature blogging path Julie, and for opening my eyes to a community of like-minded folks.

Next up is Nina at Nature Remains. Nina also lives in Ohio, over in the southwest corner by Kelly (yes, I am proud of all us Ohio bloggers – we rock, what can I say?). Nina has a way with words, and uses both her words and photos to weave beautiful and enchanting tales about the beauty she finds in nature. Thank you for sharing your unique perspective Nina.

Third is Michele out in Oregon, otherwise known as the Northwest Nature Nut. This is one of the first out-of-state birding blogs that I started to follow, and I have since seen some very cool pictures and accounts of birds that I will never see in Ohio. Michele actively encourages others to get out there and bird by hosting various friendly counting competitions and by talking about citizen science projects. I appreciate the birding community that you are building, Michele.

Fourth on the list is Shelley, who tends 3 (count ‘em, 3!) different blogs up in Michigan. I easily got hooked on Birding in Michigan, seeing as how I have a soft spot for Michigan (see, I’m not just all about Ohio!). Shelley loves her birds, and she has a special way of sharing the unique personalities of the avian friends that visit her feeders. Shelly, your personable view of the birds makes them accessible to birders and non-birders alike.

The final blog I chose is Nature Knitter by Ruthie. Ruthie was one of the first followers of my blog, and helped me to feel like a real part of the blogging community. Ruthie has varied interests that she shares on her blog, from knitting to hunting, and birding to gardening. I recently learned that her backyard has been certified as a safe habitat for birds by the National Wildlife Federation! Ruthie, I appreciate your love and respect for the great outdoors.

Glimpses of clear sky (SWF)

During the worst of our recent ice/snow storm, blue sky was a welcome sight in the midst of so much greyness. Even though there was snow and ice everywhere, it all looked kind of dull and washed out due to the cloudy sky.

The sky was actually kind of hard to see through all of the ice and snow-encrusted branches now hanging so low.

Some of the gentle giants in our wooded acres. I was sad to see all my trees so weighted down.

Ahhh, a break in the clouds. Fleeting, but lovely.

This is my first entry to Skywatch Friday. Don't know what Skywatch Friday is? Simply put, it is a place to enjoy Skies and views from all around the globe. But don't take my word for it, go see for yourself. Either click here, or click on the Skywatch Friday badge over in my sidebar at any time to go to the site.