Well DAISY--if you don't know all the species that come into your yard that is where a little pocket bird identifying book comes into play. I have a very simple one for my use...but there are bird books for every level of expertise. Here is an example of a pocket book identifier: http://www.amazon.com/Familiar-Birds-No ... 352&sr=1-1 Ok DROOPY--I hope that they enjoy the birds. I am surprised that there is no mechanism in place for counting birds there--migratory birds or static populations. Perhaps if you subscribed to the national Bird Society's (the NOF) newsletter they would notify you. I am sure there must be garden bird countings up there.
had to go back and play them all again. such fun! here's what we call some of these birds. i recognized them by the pics and the calls... Turkse torte our morning dove. Zwarte kraa our black crow or raven... Stadsduif our pigeon Groenling our grossbeak Grote bonte specht our woodpecker (ours wakes us up really early in the morning tapping on the metal roof getting bugs!)
Wow Bunkie!...you sure did some homework there. It's interesting to me to see what others call our birds here.
Bunkie you're a peach! I wanted to do that. That is great. Sjoerd, I have a bird book but I took it to school to show my kids and they loved it so much I kept it there. We use it to id the ducks in the pond in the park in summer. I will have to teach them the Dutch word for the pigeon -- very common in that urban neighborhood. Huismus = the Sparrow Winterkoning = Wren (maybe?)
You are absolutely correct--a winterkoning is indeed the wren. Since your birdbook stays onsite where you work...I'm wondering if a field trip with a packed lunch could ever be organized to take those kids out of town and into the country somewhere for half a day or so. Wouldn't that be fun?
That would truly be fun. Actually, there is a really lovely park within walking distance, which is where the pond is with the ducks. The Friends of the Park sponsor lots of different Audubon activities there for the kids during the year and they love it. They play games trying to find different birds, ducks, fish, animals and bugs from pictures. I take kids there a lot during the summer -- it is fun.
