A few of you have expressed interest in doing the Great Backyard Bird Count, and that's so cool! I should mention, though, that you need to be able to identify the birds, and you should have a book handy to help in identification. (I have several, and my favorites are a book specific to Indiana, and the Audubon Eastern edition.) I've been at this since we moved to Nutwood, so I've got a pretty good handle on ID'ing birds, but they do want an ID, and ask you not to count a bird if you are unsure of its species.
I've printed out my five page checklist. Many are water and shore birds, which we don't generally see here...although I looked out one day to see a Great Blue Heron standing in the back yard, and one day I saw a Little Green Heron perched in a tree...I said, "What the heck are you doing here?!" But I'm ready to go! If you don't feel comfortable doing IDs this year, maybe I've planted a seed so you can start to think about it for next year!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
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We have a birding featured event at work, and it is very popular...people actually schedule their visits during this time.
ReplyDeleteWell, believe it or not, I bird watched and have the book and the checklist, to prove it. However, I got very confused and found I needed an ezpert with me to dicipher a sparrow from a finch. They all look alike to me..sorry, birds.
ReplyDeletemy campus for my undergrad work has a huge bird study area where they net and tag birds.
ReplyDeletehappy birding,
xxalainaxx
I have been reading a couple of blogs where they do that bird count. I think all our birds stay local except maybe the Junko and it has moved on since the weather got warmer. There are lots of those Great Blue Herons around the waters around here. I have never seen a green one, wish you had of got a picture of that one. Good luck on your count. Helen
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like great fun. I love bird watching, but I'm not real good with their names.
ReplyDeleteOkay, there are big birds and little birds. That's the extent of my bird knowledge. Oh, and they are dangerous. Didn't you see that Hitchcock movie?
ReplyDeleteWe have quite a few herons around here but I don't want to see any since they eat my fish!!! I do have a good bird book so I'll try to match up the little fellers with the pictures :)
ReplyDeleteAnyone who cares enough about nature to count birds deserves a round of applause!
ReplyDeleteGood luck, Beth!
Ken's FUNNY!!! All we have in L.A. are Seagulls, crows, sparrows, and pigeons!!
ReplyDelete