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.