Tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 8, is the beginning of Cornell University's Backyard Feeder Watch. Here at our farm we'll be reporting bird sightings for two days each week--species and numbers. I admit we are easily entertained, but this is fun! We have three seed feeders, three watering stations, and a hummingbird feeder out, and our hopes are high. Now, if only the ducks come into our pond . . . .
Good luck Jane with your feeder watch tomorrow. I really enjoy it when we do the RSPB garden bird count each year so I know just how much fun it can be. Do let us know how many different species visit won't you
The Cornell watch lasts into April, so it's likely we'll get ducks and other waterfowl to count at some time. When the count is interesting, I'll post the species and numbers. If you don't hear from me, you know the birds are avoiding us!
Good luck and have fun, Marlingardener, I'm sure the birds, ducks and other waterfowl will be having a fun time too!
How intense is the bird watching MG i.e. what is your watching routine like? I'm very interested to hear the list also
The Watch is fun, and I'm happy to share! We do two days a week (which is what is required--not more, not less) and it's any two days you pick. Since we are generally home all day on weekends, we watch on Saturday and Sunday. We start about 7:30 a.m. with coffee and binoculars at the dining room table, keeping an eye on the two feeders and two watering stations in the backyard, and any activity in the pasture or pond. We just keep an alert eye out all day long while we go back and forth to the gardens, workshop, and barn. As of 8:30 a.m. this morning we had 11 house sparrows, three male cardinals and a female, and one white-crowned sparrow. The doves and larger birds come in later (we hope!). Monday morning we'll get on the Cornell website and report our sightings. This happens weekly until mid-April, so it covers both the fall and spring migrations.
I really like doing these...and the results are so important. good luck with your observations and recordings.
It does sound like fun marlingardener....My biggest time for watching the birds is in the morning when they are the hungriest and come up to feed and then they don't mind seeing me through the window when I am taking pictures... It will be interesting to hear all about what you have seen. I hope you notice some interesting new birds too...
I didn't do it for counting or for a group but in my old house, I used to keep record of all the different kinds of birds that visited me. That kitchen table was prefect for watching. I think I will create an area in my house by the french doors where I can feed the birds and watch again. That is a nice thing to do...
Marlingardener last year I took part in the bird count also. It is fun and mornings are the best like you said. We must have at least 30 gold finches at our seed feeder, with a few pine siskins thrown in. Thank you for the reminder.
