Sunday was a blur of activity as birds zoomed between the feeders and bushes in the backyard. This was fabulous for two reasons. One - it's always entertaining and educational watching the interactions and behaviors of the various types of birds. Two- it was a FeederWatch day.
What's FeederWatch? It's a citizen science program directed by Cornell's Lab of Ornithology that gathers data about populations of birds during the winter. People across North America spend two consecutive days each week recording the types and numbers of birds at their feeders. You can watch for 30 minutes to all day. Project FeederWatch runs from November to April. It's a great activity for the whole family.
I've participated for over ten years now and doing this has not only improved my observation skills , but also made me feel great about helping scientists understand what is happening to bird populations. Often, what I see happening at my feeders reflects the bigger trends being seen across the Upper Midwest.
So, that's why I was so excited about what was happening Sunday. I had large numbers of birds - 13 different species. And one of those was a new bird in the yard. Mixed among the goldfinches and pine siskins were common redpolls. They're about the same size as the finches and pine siskins, but have a red cap and white, unstreaked breast. They tend to move in flocks and on Sunday, that was what was happening. A group of ten would appear, then fly off throughout the morning and afternoon.
I'm lucky to have the action I usually do at my feeders - but to spot a new bird, especially in winter - what an experience.
Check out FeederWatch - it's easy and fun!
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/
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