The Great Backyard Birdcount 2014 is on!!

This year's bird count started on February 14 and ends February 17. Here's a video of my counting adventure today.

More information on the GBBC can be found at this link.

This video was created with Animoto using photos and videos. I learned about this program in a social media class.
 
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Results from the Great Backyard Bird Count 2013

The Great Backyard Bird Count lasts 4 days. I've been counting birds for about 5 years, and it's hard to predict what you will see during those counting days.

Goldfinch Fluffed by the Falling Snow

This year most of my counting was limited to window viewing because of the extreme cold and snow. The day before the count, a spectacular pair of Pileated Woodpeckers visited my yard. There was no sign of them, however, during the next 4 days. I love the brown-headed Nuthatches that have come regularly to my feeder. Again there was no sign of them during the count days.

During the count, both the male and female Eastern Towhees made a rare appearance in my backyard. A wild turkey swooped out of the sky and scurried into the  woods at the back of our property. A couple of Mute Swans graced a pond near our church.

Female Eastern Towhee

 Male Eastern Towhee

The summary of birds counted for 2013 is not yet available, but 134,935 checklists were submitted. In 2012, 104,151 checklists were tallied.

Enjoyment of the Garden from Indoors

Although frigid temperatures keep me inside during January, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the garden from indoors.

I watch birds and take photos. With limited foliage, it's easier to see and photograph birds.Here's a flock of Dark-eyed Juncos eating seeds from a Pampas bush. How many birds do you see? I counted 10.

A Brown Thrasher feeding off the ground near a feeder.

 

A Northern Flicker Woodpecker scavenging the ground for food.

An Eastern Towhee visiting friends at the bird feeder. I highly recommend putting a bird feeder where you can easily observe it from indoors.

6 Goldfinch on Feeder

If you enjoy watching and identifying birds, participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. From February 15  through 18, 2013, you count and identify birds. Your results can be entered online and tabulated with other bird counts across the country.

I have counted birds sighted from my windows or while out running errands. Last year, my husband and I parked at a country pond and counted Canadian Geese, Hood Mergansers, and Kingfishers.

Although temperatures are low, there are still opportunities to enjoy flowers.

A Periwinkle vine blooming in January. This was an unexpected surprise.

Potting a few pansies in the fall can bring you delightful glimpses of color during a bleak winter.

Don't forget a few indoor plants to challenge your green thumb. I've been blogging about an orchid and amaryllis that I'm babying through the winter. It's my first experience with an orchid, and the amaryllis has provided wonderful photo opportunities.