SPRING BIRD COUNT

      Tomorrow and Sunday we have the spring bird count or it's sometimes called the breeding bird count. This count is not done in all areas and is sometimes sporadic. That is at times , there's no one interested in doing the count. 

       Our count area is the Red Deer River watershed so it's huge. Only a very small part of it is covered for the count. In the spring count we have all the summer birds so we see colorful warblers and many sparrows that are difficult to identify. 

      I moved here in 1969. I have done about 75% of counts from 1969 to 2021. For most of that time I have counted in the same area. Sometimes I've been asked to cover an area that they want someone to take a look at. 

      Most of the time I do the count by myself. With last year's count I found that I was not a reliable bird identifier. My cataracts have developed to a point where  I  have difficulty seeing color. 

      So last year might have been my last count. However there is a chance that with cataract surgery I many be back in business. 

      So if any of you ae doing the spring count, good luck. 

SPRING BIRD COUNT.

      Spring bird count takes place sometime during the bird breeding season. Of  course, the idea is to count everything we see and hear. I've participated in this event for many years.

       I find spring bird count rather frustrating. Half the breeding birds are on a nest so you won't see them. Many of the breeding birds forage in the new leaves so it's difficult to see them in the leaf canopy. Warblers sing their little hearts out but you can rarely see them amongst the leaves. I was within 3 meters of a yellow warbler yesterday but I didn't see it. If it's windy or hot you see fewer birds . If you go in the afternoon many birds are on their afternoon nap.

       So with all this whining I'm working up to tell you that I had a lousy bird count yesterday. Yes , it was very windy. It was also very bright. So I ended up with 15 species but my numbers were small.

     I count in  ravine area which has many different habitats.There's old growth forest...spruce and poplar. There's riparian area along the stream banks. There are areas of brush. There's even a little grass in some areas.

    So I took some photos of the area but I didn't get any bird photos.

Breeding Bird Count

       Every spring we conduct a breeding bird count. Most breeding birds have arrived and established nesting territory. Late migrants are still arriving. Cedar waxwings are one of the last to arrive as they show up in mid June.

      Today was a perfect day for a count. The temperature was in the 15C (60 F) to 20 C (70) range. There was thin cloud and very little wind. This combination means that birds are moving and it's a little easier to see them. 

     I have a territory that I've counted in for years. It consists of a wide ravine. Most of it is old growth forest with some open spots that have been made into picnic areas or playgrounds. I saw 19 species of birds today. If I'd known I was on 19 I'd have worked a little harder to find number twenty. There were two species that were there but I didn't get them . I heard a woodpecker but couldn't find him in some old dead poplar so I had to leave him. And of course there's always a warbler that sings his heart out but never shows himself. I'm sure I had a golden eagle but it was too far away to be definite. There were also two small birds chasing each other beside the stream.

   We are also supposed to count blooming plants. Since things are late this year some common species are missing.

    Now between me and my primitive camera, I don't get bird photos. So I do the next best thing. I bring you flower photos. Flowers sit still while you photograph them.

Buffalo beans

Early blue violet

Small flowered butter cup

Saskatoon

        Count days are a lot of fun for me. Are there any other birders out there who do counts?

Spring Bird Count

    On May 18 I did my spring bird count in the area I was assigned. I was happy because I found 20 species and three other species I could not identify. It was  a warm, clear day with very little wind. 

   Now don't expect bird pictures. My point and shoot is not up to bird photos. I did get some decent shots of the area I counted in.

   The area I do is a heavily wooded ravine with old growth forest. Most of the trees are spruce. It's a beautiful area.

Forest entry. You've seen this when it was snowy.

Early blue violet

The bike trail through the forest.

The first Buffalo bean

An overview of the forest

Shale trail

Luckily I saw a reflection

     I see I didn't set the time on my camera so this is a few days from now. I don't know how that's going to work. 
  
   I hope you liked my bird counting trip. 

Spring Bird Count

       Two of my favorite days of the year are Christmas Bird Count and the Spring Bird Count. Today was the day spring bird count was held in our local area.

       Today was overcast and cool 2-3 C . Yesterday we had a major snow storm. Weather conditions determine what you will see and how much. Since the weather was recovering after yesterday's blast, birds were fairly active. They had to get out and start feeding to regain from being limited by weather yesterday.

      I have done the same count area for a long time . It's a heavily wooded coulee with old growth forest. You have to watch for the openings to see your birds. I usually get the same number of species and about the same number of birds. Today was no exception. I saw crows, magpies, robins, black capped chickadees, boreal chickadees, red breasted nuthatches, white breasted nuthatches, house finches, house sparrows, song sparrows, chipping sparrow, and mallards so 12 species. I heard 2 warbler species and two others that I could not identify by sound. I also saw another bird and was not able to identify it because it was too far away. So I had a very enjoyable time.

      Sometimes you will see a species not seen before so that is a bonus. I know there are other species in this area. There will be 4 species of woodpeckers. They are hard to spot when they are nesting. I heard one woodpecker and would say it was a flicker but I'm not 100% sure. I know there are blue jays but blue jays are also very quiet when they are on the nest. So you take what you can get and be satisfied.