Happy Anniversary

It has been one year to the day since this blog first took flight and I found my wings as a backyard birder. In that time I've discovered many new birds for my life list, added new feeders to the backyard, built an elongated brush pile, participated twice in the Great Backyard Bird Count, bought a field bag, expanded my birding library with both references and guides, traveled to see new bird species, become the About.com Guide to Birding and Wild Birds, held a house finch and pine siskin in my hands, and become ever more enamoured with the feathered friends who share my yard. There are many new flights still to come, however, including...

• Building the About.com site even bigger and better (have you signed up for my free newsletter?)
• Redoing the landscaping to shrink the grass and better accommodate birds
• Adding more feeders in a dedicated feeding bed
• Growing a birdseed garden for natural feed
• Adding feeders to the front yard
• Continuing to add birds to my life list by traveling across the country
• Seeking publication in additional birding and bird watching magazines

That's a lot to do, but there is also a lot of time to do it in. The joy is not in the final product, but in the journey during which we share the skies with the birds we love. Happy flying!

Get Your Count On

The 2009 Great Backyard Bird Count has begun! This afternoon, just keeping a watchful eye on my feeders, I recorded 35 visitors in only twenty minutes; American goldfinches, house finches, pine siskins, and a pair of somewhat lonely house sparrows. The count continues through Monday (February 16), and participants can submit as many different checklists as they need to record the birds they see in different areas and at different times. When you record birds, there are other observations you will need to make for an accurate report, including:

• Time and length of observation
• Number of participants counting
• Snow depth (if applicable)
• Location type
• Habitat type

You enter your geographic location by zip code or city and state, and that generates an easy to fill in list of species in the area, grouped by type of bird. You simply fill in the totals of each species you observed (no need to enter zeros for those you did not see), and you've successfully added to a wealth of birding research.

In 2008, I observed a grand total of 33 birds during the bird count; I hope to at least triple that number this year now that I know more places to go and more species that I can easily identify. I hope to count each day in a different place, but the weather forecast isn't necessarily promising. Still, it's time to get your count on, so grab a notebook, your binoculars, a trusty field guide, and make every bird count!

Up Close and Personal

It is always amazing when you can get up close and personal with wild birds, though sometimes they may not seem so wild at all, as is the case when visiting well populated ponds. Some birds, such as this mallard hybrid I befriended in St. George, are more than eager to invade a visiting birder's personal space in the hopes of charming them out of a tasty tidbit or mouth watering morsel. Fortunately, I had bread with me on this occasion, or else he may not have been so friendly.

Getting close to one's backyard birds is not always so easy. I'm fortunate in that I have plantation shutters on the picture window that faces my backyard birdfeeders, and I can keep the blinds partially shut to block the birds' view of me. In this way, I can often get within inches of visiting pine siskins, American goldfinches, house finches, California quail, and other guests without them wising up to my presence.

There are ways to get close to birds without blinds, however. Birders who provide a generous food or water source will find that birds grow more bold as they become more comfortable with the surroundings, and if they feel safe they will often disregard your presence even if you aren't that far away. Window feeders can also bring the birds up close, though I'd recommend a design with a back mirror to keep the birds from noticing your observation. Of course, good binoculars or a spotting scope can make you seem as if the birds are mere inches away, regardless of how physically close you are.

Getting close to the birds truly brings this hobby alive and makes it all the more fascinating. I'm often close to pond birds (we feed ducks and geese regularly), I have my faithful -- and famished -- backyard guests, I was privileged to be less than twenty feet from a wild golden eagle, and I've fed western scrub jays from my fingers. As I draw closer to each new bird, they become closer to my heart, and that connection is a birder's greatest privilege.

Unpredictable

There are a lot of unpredictable factors about backyard birding: which birds will visit when, how much they'll eat, whether they'll prefer a new seed or treat, if predators will be lurking nearby, if they'll nest in the yard, how they'll behave with one another, and even if they'll react the same way to the dedicated birder who fills their feeders and scrubs their birdbath in the cold of winter, during a snowstorm, or when a soggy rain is lazily dripping from dingy clouds. This week has been a disappointing one in my backyard, as many of the birds vanished for several days during our poor weather. This weekend the flock of American goldfinches and pine siskins has returned as the sun peeked from behaind the clouds, however, and they are as starving as ever. If there's one thing I can predict about this hobby, it's that I'll be out to fill the feeders again, whether the birds seem to appreciate my efforts or not, because I always appreciate their companionship.

It is also amazing to me how you can begin to recognize specific birds if you observe them long enough. There are two American goldfinches that I can easily recognize at the moment -- one fat, fluffy bird I've christened Teresa (she looks like a Teresa, though it could as easily be a male bird), and another male named Scruffy. I know he's male, and his moniker is appropriate, because he's begun his spring molt and his bland plumage is interspersed with shockingly bold yellow patches that are but a prelude to his mating glory. Granted, in another week or two many of his companions will likely appear scruffy as well and I'll probably lose him in the flock, but for the moment he's an old friend I'm glad to see occasionally, even if his visits are unpredictable.

Playing at the Pond

I'll admit, I've not been a fan of water fowl before, but after the St. George Bird Festival and visiting different ponds in the area to see a wide range of species, I'm intrigued. I find it very interesting how so many different birds can share the same habitat, intermingling and feeding together without reservations. At one particular pond, mute swans, mallards, American coots, American wigeons, geese, ruddy ducks, and wood ducks all shared the waters, while a great blue heron prowled the shore (and yes, ate the goldfish).

I've been a snob. I've gravitated automatically toward the songbirds because of their frequent visits to the backyard, and to the raptors because of their innate grace and power, eschewing water fowl as awkward and clunky instead of recognizing them as the graceful, colorful, and amusing birds they can be. Yet the community of birds and their easy diversity has shown me more than ever how ecology is all connected, and we all share the same resources. If they can do it so easily and with such grace, so too can all birders share their joyous hobby with all wings. Now, I can't wait to visit more ponds and shores to find many more species to enjoy.

New Month, New Birds, New Poll

What a wonderful weekend for birding in southern Utah; I've now added 16 new species to my life list, for a total of 69 different birds that I can definitively say I've been privileged to observe. The new arrivals are:

• Hooded Merganser
• Great Blue Heron
• American Wigeon
• Wood Duck
• Ruddy Duck
• Black Crowned Night Heron
• Canvasback
• Common Raven
• Greater Roadrunner
• Red Tailed Hawk
• Pied Billed Grebe
• Burrowing Owl
• Prairie Falcon
• Wilson's Snipe
• Abert's Towhee
• Bald Eagle

Many of these species I've actually observed before, but not been able to spot enough of their unique characteristics for a sure and confident identification -- though the wood ducks were by far the easiest to identify due to their bright colors and distinctive markings. I also saw many species already on my list, including mourning doves, lesser goldfinches, mallards, mute swans, Eurasian collared doves, American robins, white crowned sparrows, golden eagles, and more. It was a true treat to spend the weekend in the field, and I can't recommend such an experience highly enough for any birder. I will share more thoughts on the St. George Winter Bird Festival later this week.

As it is now a new month, it is also time for a new poll. The January poll results proved that the majority of birders who visit here prefer to birdwatch in their own backyard, so this month let's see what number of feeders is most common. I have six feeders currently filled, though I'll have eight or more in the summer months. What about your backyard feeding stations? Share your totals in the poll or the comments!

Flying South

To be more accurate, I should specify that I'm driving south, but the result will be the same no matter how I get there: I'm attending the sixth annual St. George Winter Bird Festival this weekend in southern Utah. The event includes quite a few really interesting presentations -- I'm especially looking forward to "Bird Brained" this evening about birds' intelligence, as well as "Bird Photography" on Friday and "Binoculars and Scopes" on Saturday. The true highlight, however, will undoubtedly be the four or five field trips I'll be able to participate in after the presentations.

Because St. George is significantly lower than Utah County in terms of elevation, the climate can be quite different and there are many bird species there that do not make it this far north. Ponds, rivers, desert brush, trails, and other habitat options are sure to yeild an amazing variety of wildlife. I hope to see a number of new species to add to my life list, and whatever other tidbits I learn along the way will be most welcome.

Wherever your birding travels may take you this weekend, whether across the country, across your state, or simply into your backyard, I wish you a pleasant "flight!"

A Hawk's Life

Over the weekend we were struck by yet another winter storm, this one with wet, heavy snow in varying intensities throughout the day. Yet even a heavy snow does not dampen bird activity, and in the midafternoon we discovered that our yard was under strict surveillance: Spook had returned.

It is fascinating to really watch a sharp shinned hawk, or any bird of prey. For long periods of time he perched attentively where he had good visibility -- at the top of a power pole, on the peak of a nearby garage, or in a tree along the property line. Once, for a moment, he alighted on our fence, but only for as long as it took to regain his balance before finding a more comfortable perch. The smaller birds: the finches, sparrows, and siskins, were conspicuous by their absence, but eventually the American goldfinches began to taunt our accipiter friend. One finch, or several, would fly erratically near the hawk, just out of reach of a quick strike but clearly meant to be seen. Spook might shift his weight, eyeing this seemingly easy prey, but he did not easily take the bait. Only when the finches would venture just a tad too close would he launch and dive after them, testing both his and their agility to the limit.

After less than a minute of frenetic activity, Spook would find another perch and rest there, his head continually scanning the landscape in a methodical pattern, searching for a morsel. After a time, the finch taunting would begin again only to culminate in another intense chase of aerobatics.

In the hour or more that he lurked around our yard, Spook's appetite must only have grown because his attacks were unsuccessful. Yet this juvenile hawk (clearly marked by the white feathers still showing through his darker plumage) is succeeding at survival, because even in the coldest, most unforgiving winter weather, he continues to hunt, to live, and ultimately, to soar. In the midst of the darkest winter days, if we can remember his perseverance, we too shall grow stronger and wiser as we survive until spring.