question for backyard birders (1 Viewer)

dizzybird

Member

• Jul 29, 2003

• #1

My daughter decided to create a list of birds that we have seen in our backyard. Each member of the family named a bird and we watched the list grow. The only criteria was that it had to be in our backyard. We couldn't list nearby birds. Anyway, if you had asked me what my guess was as far as a count I would have said about 20. I couldn't believe it when the list grew to around 40!! It was very exciting for her to realize that there was so much happening just in our little space on the planet.

Have any of you backyard birders tallied up your (backyard) sightings? It would be exciting to know about the variety you've seen in your little patch of land.

dizzybird

 

T

Tammie

Well-known member

• Jul 29, 2003

• #2

In this past spring, I was quite shocked to find out my yard list tally was 48 species!

 

Tony_InDevon

Bird Lover & People Photographer

• Jul 29, 2003

• #3

I suppose in a way I have been doing the same with photography. There is a graveyard over the way from where I live and I like to go there to see just what wildlife I can record on slides. It's also great fun because the birds, rabbits etc run / fly a mile if they see a human, so it's good stalking practice as well.

 

PhilM

Active member

• Jul 29, 2003

• #4

I've been keeping a yard list for 7 years. This spring I added Northern Waterthrush and Magnolia Warbler to make 104.

 

dizzybird

Member

• Jul 29, 2003

• #5

104! That's terrific! Maybe some of those birds have passed through my yard being that I am just south of you.

 

esmondb

The fool that MrT doesn't pity

• Jul 30, 2003

• #6

Will you guys stop showing off - my official garden list is one! I had two woodpigeons sat on my fence eating some windblown seed from my feeder.
Plenty of insects though - I'm not going to try and record how many species of them, though

 

birdman

Орнитол&

• Jul 30, 2003

• #7

Well, I can add Collared Dove to my Garden List, this week - so my list is now a massive 700% of yours, Esmond!!!

So there!

 

Katy Penland

Well-known member

• Jul 31, 2003

• #8

My yard list for the past 22 months is 95 species, but I also count birds flying that I see FROM the yard, not just those that come in to feed or perch in the trees on our property. But I do have to be IN the yard, not out on the street or on a neighbor's property for the birds to be countable.

I not only keep track of the different species, I count any young they bring into the yard, I collect feathers that are dropped, and I take pictures whenever I can, especially to document something unusual (so the Birds Committee will believe me!). I also note different behaviors, or funny things the birds do, especially their interactions with other animals, like the squirrels and bunnies, and other bird species. I tape the feathers and pictures into the logbook so it breaks up the boring old lists.

I think it's just wonderful that you're doing this as a family project. There is no better way to get kids interested in the health of the planet than by getting them involved in the natural world of their own back yard. Good on ya!

Do you have seed or nectar feeders up to attract birds?

Katy

 

Hanno

Ho Ho Ho

• Jul 31, 2003

• #9

My "backyard" list is actually at my mother's backyard. It has a beach, thorn shrub, flowering shrubs, and is quite large (does that still count as a backyard?) and, best of all, it is in Kenya. Including migrants and fly-overs, the list is currently hovering around 250 species. Mind you, I spent most of my (bird watching) youth there, and still go back on occassion.

 

P

pineywoods965

Well-known member

• Jul 31, 2003

• #10

That's a great idea Dizzybird - especially getting the whole family involved. I know I was surprised when I did a Backyard Bird Count one year and it was 28 for one day. Think I will make a separate list just for my yard and see how it goes. Since a lot of winter birds hang around here October - April it will really increase my list. I might have to do like Katy does and count birds I can see from my yard - I had a Pileated WP in a tree about 5' from my yard a few weeks ago! Thanks for the idea.
Becky

 

I

Intrested Reader

New member

• Jul 31, 2003

• #11

My Garden count stands at 52, which I'm told is good for Ireland. The more unusual are Dipper and Cormorant (No water in the garden, and a lake 1 mile away. No streams in the area either)