WELL....this year was certainly a let down here in New Jersey. We had some of the windiest weather ever, and I swear it blew all the birds out of the state....or so it seemed. Opening day of the count, I sat down at my computer with my cup of tea ready to check the morning news and log everyone hanging out at the feeders. To my dismay, there wasn't a bird to be found! OK, we're talking me here, I wasn't dismayed, I was pissed off. For the past week the birds and squirrels have been annihilating the feeders like it was the "Last Supper". The "count" starts and everyone heads for the hills, the beach, another state...who the hell knows....they just weren't here in my yard like they were suppose to be. To add to the frustration I have had so much schoolwork to do that I really couldn't take the time to scout out my "spots" like I wanted to.
So, want to know the bird that scored the highest sightings? The European Starling at 1,332,172. Not far behind was the American Robin with 1,013,406. At the very bottom of the list there were 22 birds with only 1 sighting a piece, a small sampling: Gray Kingbird, Hepatic Tanager and Brown Shrike. I admit, I never even heard of these before.... If you would like to check out the overall totals, or maybe just check out your home state, or even hometown: GBBC Totals
Now, for me here in western New Jersey, just a half hour above Trenton, I counted a total of 812 birds, with a total of 19 different species. I had 2 new birds that I have never spotted before: A Northern Flicker (yellow-shafted) at the feeders & a large flock of Snowgeese that flew over my yard.
So, want to know the bird that scored the highest sightings? The European Starling at 1,332,172. Not far behind was the American Robin with 1,013,406. At the very bottom of the list there were 22 birds with only 1 sighting a piece, a small sampling: Gray Kingbird, Hepatic Tanager and Brown Shrike. I admit, I never even heard of these before.... If you would like to check out the overall totals, or maybe just check out your home state, or even hometown: GBBC Totals
Now, for me here in western New Jersey, just a half hour above Trenton, I counted a total of 812 birds, with a total of 19 different species. I had 2 new birds that I have never spotted before: A Northern Flicker (yellow-shafted) at the feeders & a large flock of Snowgeese that flew over my yard.
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| Northern Flicker |
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| Snow Geese Overall, I enjoy doing the bird hunt, and I'm glad that they email reminders when it's coming up or I never would of remembered this year. The birds hiding out was a bit of a disappointment, but then again, guess I should do a lot better next year! But let's face, I love the outdoors and wildlife, so any time spent with either is always a plus in my book. Hope you consider joining "The Count" next year! It's easy to sign up and get involved as much as you want: |
3 comments:
We joined the count this year. Had hundreds of red winged black birds at the feed, our two resident flickers, dozens of English sparrows and 9 American gold finches, among others. We had the feeders full and waiting. cheers. ann
I've always wanted to have a northern flicker in my garden. This year I'm hoping for a Baltimore Oriole.
Still, that is a great count. I have never seen snow geese so that would have been exciting.
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