Wednesday, February 26, 2014

The Great Backyard Bird Count 2014

I must admit... I will never be a scientist. 
It just isn't a part of me, 
though quite honestly, I've tried.



Patiently Waiting a Turn at the Feeder


With pencil and notebook, I was so ready to record 
my backyard bird scientific data for the Great Backyard Bird Count...
the day, the hour, the species,
the numbers. 



It's a Party!

 And then it happened...
I became completely distracted by the show.



 Dove Dancin' in the Morning Air

Who wouldn't be?
 Kinda hard to count birds and photograph them at the same time.

It wasn't long before I knew...
my heart just wasn't into the science of this event. 

But capturing the images... 
now that makes my heart zing


Dark Eyed Junco


This little guy stole my heart...
something about those deep black eyes.

He's often described as 
"leaden skies above, snow below".


Free Rent

Isn't he a flashy little fellow?

He's polite and very well mannered at the feeder.
Also enjoys foraging for food 
in the brown winter gardens.

Move in.  Please?


House Sparrow

Who knew a common House Sparrow 
could be so enchanting?



King for a Day

Notice the black patch on his throat.
The larger that patch, the older and more dominate he is.
Nice to wear this information 
on their feathers for all the ladies to see!


House Finch

The red of a male House Finch 
comes from the pigments 
contained in their food during molt.


Looking at You!

The more pigment in the food... the redder he is. 

That's why you sometimes see orange or yellowish male House Finches. 
They must not dine in my Raspberry Patch.


I Pick You!

A female Finch is really quite plain.
She prefers to mate with the reddest male she can find.
Wouldn't you?


American Robin

Ever wondered how to tell 
if a Robin is male or female?
They are very similar
but females are more pale in color
and the head is more gray than black. 


Surveying the Sights

Our Robins are quite elusive this day...
I only saw two from a distance.

Perhaps they know they can't compete 
with the dule* of doves 
that are gathered here.

*Dule...
as in flock.


Eurasian Collared Dove


I counted well over twenty-eight doves 
 when I stepped out on the porch 
and interrupted their party.

Should have gone for the image instead of the count.
So many doves fluttering at once... 
it really was quite amazing.


Lovey Doves


The Doves are certainly announcing an early Spring here... 
and driving me a bit looney 
with their constant mating calls.

It's quite the scene.
But oh, how I love Nature. 

♦ ♦ ♦ 



I've entered my data with birdcount.org.
The numbers were simple estimates...
 and I collected my certificate.


Perhaps I should have called it...

The Great Backyard Photo Shoot.

♦  ♦  ♦

Kudos to 
Cornell University Lab of Ornithology
and
Audubon
for creating such a great project.

I promise next year I'll do better with the counting.

Maybe I'll enlist my grandkiddos to count while I take the pics!



All content created by Carolyn Bush | Copyright © 2010 - 2014
 All Rights Reserved | This Grandmother's Garden | Highland, Utah, USA

11 comments:

  1. Love your photos, Carolyn! Mostly this one "King of a day", and all birds look healthy and have a lot of food on your feeders.
    Have a nice day!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Nadezda. Those little guys brighten my day.

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  2. I am with you...so easy to get distracted by the photo taking. I tried to do both during one count which didn't work out well so I had to be very disciplined when counting and then take my photos. You got some great action shots.

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    Replies
    1. I lacked the discipline. Totally got lost in the image capturing... loved it!

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  3. Great photo. Some of you get so many birds in your gardens.
    Cher Sunray Gardens

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We do have a lot of Winter birds here. They keep us entertained.

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  4. I can see why you would get distracted, they are all so beautiful. Wonder if they have those counts here?

    Jen

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  5. Carolyn, you've captured those birds beautifully! The last one is my favourite - birds in motion is really something special!

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  6. I loved your photo shoot, especially the first image of the male finch! He was looking right into the camera with something of an attitude. I also was enchanted by the dove dancing in the morning light. No one ever said science couldn't be entertaining!

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  7. Many birds graced your garden. Lovely photos. Now if the snow would leave for the robins.

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  8. They are such magical creatures! Thank you for sharing the results of your photo shoot!

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