Last Sunday was our bird count. I got 12 species and about 150 birds. They also had a potluck supper in the evening.
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| We did have a rich potluck supper. |
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| We also had a contest with prizes. |
What I was thinking about as I counted were the changes that have taken place in the area I count in. The area is a deep heavily wooded ravine with some open spots. It ranges in width from 1 km (5/8 mi) t0 .5 km (5/16 mi). When I first went through this area it was extremely quiet and secluded. The city has grown from 25000 at that time to 100000 today. There are still very few people in the ravine but traffic noise has increased about 100 times.
I find my birds first by listening so with all the traffic noise it's hard to hear birds. Next I use motion. Since many of the spruce are 25 M (80 ft. ) high it's hard to see in the tops of the trees. I'm sure that the other day there were kinglets and crossbills in the tree tops but I couldn't catch sight of them. I'm sure that there are black backed woodpeckers in the area because I see evidence of sawdust at the bottom of the trees which indicates black backs have been feeding.The overall number of birds has been decreasing. I still get a similar number of species each year.
Then I suddenly thought , "What about the counter? Has the counter changed?" Then I had to admit that my hearing is about half what it was when I first counted in the area. Then I had to admit that my eyesight is maybe only 60% of what it was.
So if I put all these things together I would suggest that they get another bird counter! However, I like birding and if I didn't count this area it wouldn't get counted. Besides that it keeps me young!
I had to laugh at your realization, Red. But I'm glad you intend to keep on counting. It's important and clearly you enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteWell, I have a good laugh at myself too!
DeleteIt sounds like many changes have taken place since you started counting. But your perserverance remains.
ReplyDeleteWell, in 43 years a few things will change! For me I just lose a few things!
DeleteRed good for you to be doing this. You sure are involved in a lot of different things, that's so awesome to learn more and more about you.
ReplyDeleteThe dinner looks like it was heavy on the desserts, a perfect type of dinner in my opinion! :-) Not that I'm allowed to eat this sort of stuff, but one can make the occasional exception.
Since desserts are my style, I took the picture from the dessert end!
DeleteInteresting blog report on "bird watching.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a good meal get together, hopefully not the last before the
Mayan predictions of – “Off to Nether land or wherever! After all the latest predictions
here are for 10.11pm tonight and we cop the blast before you do.
I have said my prayers, but I think I will survive as all Australia will.
Anyhow I have all my good cheer food and booze to consume, and I sure ain’t leaving
that for some idiotic prediction.
Now re: Birds and especially CROWS.
These birds in cities are scavengers, noisy and will drive you mad as they live in
colonies. In the country they are the curse of farmers, they prey on the new born sheep,
goats and calves. They pluck the eyes out of the new born animals.
Now on a blog I happened to open, I saw photos of these birds and 90 odd comments plus, on how majestic they looked. They are the Piranhas of the sky.
Strange eh? Than God, my two grandmas and grand pops plus my father are dead.
All were deadly “dead eye dicks” lining up crows around our properties. Oh yes, shot guns were
permitted back then but you did require a licence to have one.
Here in Australia we have strict gun control laws, after this recent incident of diabolical proportions in Connecticut, I am pleased to report that the gun laws pertaining to being
caught with an AK 47 machine gun or anything like it has gone up many notches, if caught you will spend the rest of your life behind bars. Yep, the criminal mob will still get guns, but the penalties have risen a notch.
Then we have the bats (flying foxes) , the curse of the orchardist growers, well at last sense has prevailed, shot guns are permitted at last to shoot them. The "City slicker Greenies", who live in high rise apartments and the strange Uni. students, have 99.9% percent never been near a bat/flying fox colony, the stench is overwhelming.
All birds are magnificent, exceptions are the crows, Indian Mynahs, ( the killers of all little birds here) and the horrible Ibis whÃch have taken over suburbia here.
Colin
I don't know if your crow is the American crow or not , but crows are very intelligent birds. They can be a nuisance.
DeleteI think the Austalian eco system was really screwed up by so many weird imports that didn't have enemies like the rabbit.
Deafness is well recognised in folk of a certain age. The RSPB here allow for it in their calculations.
ReplyDeleteYou'll have to be careful with all this food..you will be too full for your Christmas dinner.
Hearing loss is not only a certain age but mostly in men.
DeleteI live pretty dangerously when it comes to food.
Get one of those super sonic hearing HORNS, polish off yer field glasses, take two aspirins and go BIRDING in the morning :)
ReplyDeleteWay to go COUNTER!!
Okay Doc. I'll do it!
DeleteI also am glad you are continuing the bird count. They do the same here in my part of the world but I don't know very many birds, so I don't try to be a counter. I'm glad you are still doing it there, since you are so knowledgeable. :-)
ReplyDeleteWe encourage all people to come with us. I welcome inexperienced people to come with me.
Deletelaughing at the fact you discount your own abilities along with the human population invasion. :) i wish you many more years of birding.
ReplyDeleteI must get south again and take a look at your birds. Some of my neighbors spend the winter in Texas.
DeletePerhaps there is no one more capable and eagerer than you to count the birds in your area, Red, and your counting is still valuable. Keep the good work. :) I like the
ReplyDeleteretrospective view you get over the years...
there are people much keener than I am when it comes to the bird count. I hope I've got many more counting years left.
DeleteIf I were a bird I'd want to be counted by you, not matter what your limitations. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteSometimes the birds give me a rough time like an owl that stays tight in a big spruce tree.
DeleteI've done the Backyard Bird Count and I really like it. I want to do more of it and just some simply for my own records.
ReplyDeleteI know this winter I have had far more Bluejays and Cardinals than I've seen in five years.
We need things to keep us young! :)
Always interesting when you see things that are different. Here we have many red polls the have been scarce for a few years.
DeleteI have done the Cornell Backyard count often and it is fun to look at what many are finding in your area.We had a feeder breakfast last weekend with lots of new people to share with.
ReplyDeleteNow a feeder breakfast sounds cool!
ReplyDeleteThere are many people here who do feeder counts.