Bird Count Interim Reports

Yes, I know the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) ended on the 17th, but data can still be reported up to February 26, so these findings are Interim. Unless you can decode this chart:   http://ebird.org/ebird/GuideMe?source=changeLocation&reportType=location&bMonth=01&bYear=2014&eMonth=12&eYear=2014&getLocations=states&states=US-NY&continue=Continue

Here are some highlights from the Halftime Report from the GBBC:

At the time of the report, 591 species had been identified in the US, with 36,000 checklists having been submitted.

Fewer winter finches across North America

What a difference a year makes. Last year the GBBC documented a finch “superflight,” driven by food shortages in Canada. Ten species of irruptive species (mostly finches) staged a record invasion in areas where they don't usually show up.  (maps of  White Crossbills were attached, but are withheld here)

The maps highlighted how dramatically bird populations can fluctuate naturally from year to year—and we (Cornell/Audubon/etc)  could never see the change so clearly defined over the vastness of a continent without your data. We’re seeing a similar pattern with Red Crossbills, Common and Hoary redpolls, Pine and Evening grosbeaks, Pine Siskin, Purple Finch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Bohemian Waxwing, birds that were more numerous farther south last year as well.

(I have seen fewer Pine Siskins and Purple Finches, I assumed because I was not consistently feeding wild birds. Not so, and we know what they say about assume! )

The Snowy Owl invasion continues

A massive irruption of Snowy Owls into the northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and Great Lakes states of the U.S. has been producing headlines for the past several months. Even though we’re only halfway through the GBBC, we’ve already tallied 327 checklists reporting a total of 476 Snowy Owls in 20 states and provinces of the U.S. and Canada. Compare this to 392 owls from 8 provinces and 14 states during all four days of 2013. As an illustration of how the owls have moved, in 2013 Canada had 46% of the Snowy Owl reports, but this year that number has dropped to 32%. Despite this year's impressive numbers, snowies can still be hard to find. We recommend checking seashores and lakeshores, farm fields, and even cities, where the owls often choose a prominent perch with a good view, such as a utility pole or even the roof of a city building. 

The polar vortex effect

In much of North America, we’re shivering through bone-chilling blasts of arctic air also called the “polar vortex.” The impact of this frigid cold on birds is most apparent in areas such as the Great Lakes which are almost completely frozen. Only Lake Ontario has any significant open water now and that has resulted in major movements of waterfowl and grebes. The GBBC is capturing these patterns well.

(I have to admit, I have not been near a beach since September, but I am pretty sure that the Harbors have not frozen over ?  I would be curious to know what intrepid Shore-bird Watchers found, so I will be looking at the Explore a Location tool mentioned below.

Other Activities

• Explore what’s being reported with our new “Explore a Location” tool. You can see what species are being reported and how many checklists are being turned in at the county, state/province, and country levels. Just click “Explore Data” on the GBBC or eBird websites and you’ll see the “Explore a Location” tool at the top of the list.

• Submit photos for the GBBC photo contest or just explore some of the fantastic images that are coming in!
• Sign up for the GBBC eNewsletter on the website homepage. This is the best way to stay on top of any updates and to get word of the 2014 count summary when it’s ready.

In looking through reference pages, trying to ID the woodpecker from the photo, taken by my husband in our backyard a few seasons back. I came upon some excellent landscaping information.  I will be writing more on this closer to Spring, but you can get started here: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/page.aspx?pid=1143  .  There is extensive information on the All About Birds site under Birding Basics.

Back to the photo.  Common sense would dictate that the bird in the photograph is a red-headed woodpecker. However, it is not, rather it is a red-bellied woodpecker; though I can see no red on it’s belly.  I don’t know the genesis of the name, whether one was first spotted earlier than another.  I suppose this comes under the “history of American Birdwatching,” which seems like a perfectly good topic to study on a rainy (thank goodness not snowy) day. 

 
My husband improvised a feeder with a roof out of a large Folger’s coffee can.  It is currently sitting on a metal plant holder, and getting quite a bit of avian action despite the rain.  Given it’s popularity, I may add a rope to hang it with, or make some more.  Folger-feeder will never be squirrel-proof, but in a pinch, when there was just too much snow to get to the shed where our ‘good’ feeders are, it works.  And yes, we drink a whole lot of coffee! 

Did you participate in the GBBC?  If so, did you discover anything that contradicts these early finding ?  Or is your data similar? 

Leave a comment and I will do my best to get back to you.  Happy Birding !