Bird Identification Websites and Apps

Welcome back.

The unbelievably warm December weather continues.  Temperatures have been way above normal thus far this month.  Last weekend the high temperatures are forecast to be in the sixties.

I have completed 5 weeks of counting as I am participating in Project FeederWatch again this year.  So far this year, my counts have been lower than normal, both in the number of species and the total number of birds for each species.  This is of course a direct result of the above normal temperatures.

In previous posts, I have covered in detail various projects one can participate in to help aid in bird research.

House Finch

Project FeederWatch

November 4, 2015 (http://dansgardening.blogspot.com/2015/11/its-time-for-project-feederwatch.html). Project dates 11/14/15 to 4/8/16.

Christmas Bird Count

November 30, 2015 (http://dansgardening.blogspot.com/2015/11/bird-watching-season-is.html).  Project dates 12/14/15 to 1/5/16.


Great Backyard Bird Count

February 2, 2015 (http://dansgardening.blogspot.com/2015/02/almost-time-for-great-backyard-bird.html). Project dates 2/12/16 to 2/15/16.


There are even others which I may cover in the future, including eBird (http://ebird.org/content/ebird/).



Bird Identification

There are various sources available regarding bird identification, both websites and phone apps.


 First, some of the best websites:

• Cornell Lab of Ornithology (http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Page.aspx?pid=1478#).  If you scroll down you will see a small search box underneath the heading "All About Birds".  This is a great online bird guide that I have used frequently.  An added bonus of this site is the links to various live bird webcams in  Ithaca, NY, Texas, and Ontario, Canada.

• Audubon Guide to North American Birds ( https://www.audubon.org/field-guide).  Another excellent bird guide, the photos are striking.  

Bird Apps (Free)

• Merlin Bird ID App (http://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/).  This is available for both IOS and Android.  Nice app with a bird ID wizard based on size, shape, etc.  

• Audubon (http://www.audubon.org/apps?s_src=2015-10_CRIad_Google-Grant&gclid=CjwKEAiAhaqzBRDNltaS0pW5mWgSJADd7cYDMR29DFBpszO_yRLZVnF8t2ui62-emq5P8qg4zijVEhoC0ivw_wcB).  This is also available for both IOS and Android.

Friendly Visitor

Sunrise 12/11/15

Until next time.  As always, thanks for visiting my blog.

Bird Watching Season is Underway/Christmas Bird Count

Welcome back.  I've been busy over the last 3 or 4 weeks with fall projects around the house including final yard cleanup and getting ready for Thanksgiving.

In my last post on November 4th, 2015, I wrote in detail about Project FeederWatch (http://dansgardening.blogspot.com/2015/11/its-time-for-project-feederwatch.html).  It is a citizen science project which started on November 14th and runs though April 8th.  If you enjoy feeding and watching birds, this is a great project to participate in.   The cost is only $18 which includes a research packet and calendar.  This also makes a great holiday gift idea.

So far this season, I would say that the numbers are down, both the species and overall bird numbers. This is most likely due to the mild weather we have experienced thus far in November, and no snow cover to date.  I have seen an increase in the number of species/total bird counts over the last three weeks. Once the cold weather settles in and we get snow on the ground, the birds will be out in force.

Blue Jay at Work

For those of you looking for a different bird watching project this time of the year, there is also the Christmas Bird count. This is not only sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Bird Studies Canada, but also by Audubon.  This count is different in that it usually involves travelling to a designated location (circles) near your home.  Counting is done with a group of people.  For more information visit http://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count.

From the website:

Prior to the turn of the 20th century, people engaged in a holiday tradition known as the Christmas "Side Hunt": They would choose sides and go afield with their guns; whoever brought in the biggest pile of feathered (and furred) quarry won.

Conservation was in its beginning stages in that era, and many observers and scientists were becoming concerned about declining bird populations. Beginning on Christmas Day 1900, ornithologist Frank M. Chapman, an early officer in the then nascent Audubon Society, proposed a new holiday tradition-a "Christmas Bird Census"-that would count birds during the holidays rather than hunt them.

All Christmas Bird Counts are conducted between December 14 to January 5, inclusive dates, each season. Your local count will occur on one day between those dates. Participate in as many counts as you wish!
How does participation work?

There is a specific methodology to the CBC, and all participants must make arrangements to participate in advance with the circle compiler within an established circle, but anyone can participate.

Each count takes place in an established 15-mile wide diameter circle, and is organized by a count compiler. Count volunteers follow specified routes through a designated 15-mile (24-km) diameter circle, counting every bird they see or hear all day. It's not just a species tally--all birds are counted all day, giving an indication of the total number of birds in the circle that day.  

If you are a beginning birder, you will be able to join a group that includes at least one experienced birdwatcher.

If your home is within the boundaries of a CBC circle, then you can stay at home and report the birds that visit your feeder on count day as long as you have made prior arrangement with the count compiler. Check out the sign-up link above during the sign-up season for information on how to contact the compiler.
See additional questions about CBC participation below.

Below is a video about the Christmas Bird count:

Some more of my photos from the first few weeks of Project FeederWatch:

House Sparrow

Brown Headed Cowbird

House Sparrow

Finally, a beautiful sunrise photo taken from my home last week.

November Sunrise

As always, thanks for reading.

It's Time For Project FeederWatch

Welcome back.

Believe it or not November is here, and that's good news for bird watchers!  This week we are seeing above normal temperatures and sunny skies.  It doesn't seem like the typical November bird watching weather for central New York State.

Project FeederWatch officially begins on November 14th, and runs through April 8th of 2016.  This is the 29th season for this citizen science project which is a joint venture of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada.  However, if you want to participate this year, I would encourage you to sign up soon as it takes a few weeks for you to receive your research kit.  Your starter kit also includes your membership number, which is needed to enter data online.  It only costs $18 for the season.  But not to worry,  You don't have to participate every single week during the project.

For more information and to sign up, visit http://feederwatch.org/.

I have also provided an instructional video, which has good information regarding how to set up a bird watching area and much more:

What does all this data tell us?

(From thee FeederWatch website):

When thousands of FeederWatchers in communities across North America count birds and send their tallies to the FeederWatch database, the result is a treasure trove of numbers, which FeederWatch scientists analyze to draw a picture of winter bird abundance and distribution.

FeederWatch data show which bird species visit feeders at thousands of locations across the continent every winter. The data also indicate how many individuals of each species are seen. This information can be used to measure changes in the winter ranges and abundances of bird species over time.

Why is this data important:

(From thee FeederWatch website):

With each season, FeederWatch increases in importance as a unique monitoring tool for more than 100 bird species that winter in North America.

What sets FeederWatch apart from other monitoring programs is the detailed picture that FeederWatch data provide about weekly changes in bird distribution and abundance across the United States and Canada. Importantly, FeederWatch data tell us where birds are as well as where they are not. This crucial information enables scientists to piece together the most accurate population maps.

Because FeederWatchers count the number of individuals of each species they see several times throughout the winter, FeederWatch data are extremely powerful for detecting and explaining gradual changes in the wintering ranges of many species. In short, FeederWatch data are important because they provide information about bird population biology that cannot be detected by any other available method.

So sharpen your pencils and dust off the binoculars.  It's time to count birds.

When you sign up, you will receive the following benefits from your membership:

• Full access to the website and data entry.
• Winter Birds Highlights, a summary of the previous counting season.
• The Cornell's Lab newsletter, a publication about backyard birds.

New participants will receive:

• Common Feeder Birds poster.
• FeederWatch handbook and instructions booklet.
• Bird-Watching Days calendar.
• Tally sheet.

As an added bonus, participants can submit their photos to share on the website.

So join today in order to get your research kit in a few weeks.   As I mentioned many times before, bird watching is a very relaxing activity and a great way to spend quality family time together.

As always, thanks for readng.

Fall Foliage/Garden Clean Up

Welcome back.  It's been some time since my last post.  We've been busy enjoying the fall colors with weekend trips to the Adirondacks and the Finger Lakes.  For those of you not familiar with New York state, these are both well known and beautiful regions of the state.

This post will include a few fall foliage photos from the Finger Lakes trip this past weekend plus some shots from my yard.  The trip to the Adirondacks in September was well before peak foliage.  I will also touch on fall garden clean up, and talk about some hardy vegetables that still remain.

To start, I captured this photo this evening in my backyard.  The geese are migrating and I caught them at sunset, as their honking pierced the quite evening.

Geese Flying at Sunset

Next, some photos from our trip to the Finger Lakes over Columbus Day weekend.  We have come to love the area with its many wineries and beautiful vistas.

Vineyard Overlooking Keuka Lake

Seneca Lake

Vineyard Overlooking Seneca Lake

Next, a few shots from my yard in central New York state:

As the gardening season winds down, I have gradually been cleaning out a growing season's worth of vegetable plants, and unfortunately, also weeds.  As hard as I try to keep the gardens in good shape during the season, by this time of the year the weeds can start to take over,  This year I actually started the cleanup process in September.

Lower Garden Empty and Rototilled

Only a Few Lupines (Perennial) Remain of the Wildflowers

The Upper Garden - Partially Emptied

The Remaining Wildflowers Before Pulling

One of the cold hardy veggies still in the garden are the leeks.  They are a long season vegetable that are just maturing now.  They can withstand frost and their flavor is actually enhanced by the cold.

Leeks Ready For Harvest (American Flag)

Kale is another cold tolerant plant.  It can withstand frost and be enjoyed late into the fall season.

Italian Kale

Swiss chard is yet another vegetable that holds up extremely well in cold weather.

Swiss Chard

Even some plants that are not cold tolerant have survived into mid October which is unusual.  Shown below is the still thriving lettuce, scallion, and pepper plants.

 Lettuce and Scallions Still Remain

October Peppers

Blog Approved By The Ducks

Thanks as always for reading my blog.  Coming next time, I will write about Project Feeder Watch   (http://feederwatch.org/),  This is a huge citizen science project that begins on November 8th.  I have participated in this study for several years.  From the website:

Project FeederWatch is a winter-long survey of birds that visit feeders at backyards, nature centers, community areas, and other locales in North America. FeederWatchers periodically count the birds they see at their feeders from November through early April and send their counts to Project FeederWatch. FeederWatch data help scientists track broadscale movements of winter bird populations and long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance.

More to come.. Until next time.

It's Potato Time/Help Me Identify a Mystery Bird

Welcome back.

A few weeks ago I undertook the process of digging potatoes.  It's a fun activity, well at least I (and probably my fellow gardeners) think it is.  It's like hunting for buried treasure.  Some years the find is excellent, others not so much.

Last year I had a bumper crop of about 250 lbs, which will be hard to beat.  That was an all time record.   This year I planted fewer hills, plus the exceedingly wet June and first half of July seemed to affect the overall yield.

I tried a new variety of potato this year, along with some tired and true ones.  The new variety turned out to be quite the surprise,

The seed potatoes I purchased were supposed to be Rose Finn Apple fingerlings, as can bee seen in my post on May 21, 2015 (http://dansgardening.blogspot.com/2015/05/planting-potatoes.html).  However based upon the appearance and some research I did, the variety turned out to be Red Thumb fingerlings. Both have rose colored skin, however Rose Finn apple has a yellow flesh, while Red thumb has a rose and white colored flesh.

At the time of harvest, I didn't take a photo of the flesh of these tubers, however below I have added one. Compare to the photo of Rose Finn Apple fingerlings.  Clearly, they were mislabeled,  They turned out to have delicious flavor, so I was pleasantly surprised.

Red Thumb Fingerlings 

Red Thumb

Potatoes should be dug when the vines start to die off.  This usually happens in August or September, depending on the variety.  If the vines are still thriving, the tubers are still growing.  Of course, if you get anxious for some early potatoes, they can be dug as "new potatoes" before they reach maturity.

Russet Burbank Potatoes

Once dug, potatoes need to be allowed to dry for at least a day before storing.  However, if exposed to light, they will turn green,  I typically lay them out on my garage floor on newspaper and cover them with a sheet or blanket.  The newspaper helps to absorb moisture from the soil still on the potatoes.

Russet Burbank Potatoes Drying

Once dry, they need to be stored in a cool, dry, dark place.  If you have an older home, the cellar may be an excellent place.  In my home, we have an old stone foundation.  The basement acts as a root cellar, since the temperature usually stays in the forties during the winter.  It never freezes since the furnace is down there, but stays cool which is great for potato storage.  It is pretty dark also, however I always cover them with an old blanket to ensure they are not exposed to light.

Yukon Gold

.

Red Thumb and Yukon Gold

In summary, the potato yield was fair this year.  Although I ended up with approximately 75 to 100 pounds, there was a higher percentage of small potatoes this year.  Nonetheless, the yield was plenty for our needs.


Finally, during the last several weeks, we have seen the bird below, but I'm not sure of the species.  It is migration time here in central New York State, so it very well could be a migratory bird.  It looks like a juvenile, which may be throwing me off track.  It almost looks like a gray flycatcher, but they are not found in the East as far as I know.  Any guesses?  Let me know.

As always, thanks for reading my blog.

Harvest Photos - Heirloom Tomatoes and More

Welcome back.  It's been a while since my last post, as the summer is flying by and coming to a close. Labor Day is right around the corner.

This is the time of the gardening season when all the work pays off.  Overall it's been a good growing season, with a few exceptions.   The extremely wet month of June and early July had an adverse affect on some of the plants, mainly pumpkins and beans.  Some of the pumpkin plants rotted while the remaining ones didn't grow at the normal pace.  The bean plants din't grow well either, only getting about 6 or 8 inches high (normally at least 12 to 14 inches).  The bean crop was very sparse.  The pumpkins have recovered somewhat but there are only a few forming and they are only about half grown at this point.

However, the garden overall has also yielded many nice crops as I discussed in my last post on August 7, 2015 (http://dansgardening.blogspot.com/2015/08/harvest-time-is-heremid-season-garden.html).  We have continued to enjoy the many edible benefits of gardening over the last few weeks:

Abundant Harvest 

Italian Kale

Portugal Hot Peppers

Grape Tomatoes on the Vine

Red Thumb Fingerling Potatoes

Heirloom Tomatoes

Beautiful Sunflowers

Heirlooms on the Vine

In my next post I will talk about digging and storing potatoes.  Also, the newly planted radishes, kale and lettuce are making good progress towards a fall harvest.

As always, thanks for reading.