Backyard Birding

A finicky wireless connection combined with the general exhaustion of long days hiking in the wilderness kept me from posting as often as I had hoped while we were away. Ok, from posting at all while we were away.

But I am back now and will share some of our trip to the Smokies after I sort through all of these pictures!

While some species of raptors can become a pest at feeders, they are amazing birds to watch. One of the most exhilarating experiences I have had with my backyard feeding station was the day a red tailed hawk inspected our yard. Each fall, millions of these magnificent birds migrate south and head through a narrow corridor in central Veracruz, Mexico. That, I am sure, is a truly amazing sight. I have read that it is like watching a river of hawks flying overhead as they make their way to their winter homes. I am sure that these pictures do the event little justice.

While nothing quite that amazing shall be occurring here in the United States, our raptors are readying themselves for this migration. In fact, according to the Hawk Migration Association of North America, the peak period for observing the fall migration is between September 20 and October 20. Check here for an interactive map which will help you find where a viewing site may be located in your state. Participating in a count day can be very educational, and experienced birders are generally available to assist in identification and to answer questions. If you cannot make the count day, however, a trip to the area any time during the migration will likely yield a few memorable sightings.

hawks, birding, backyard birding, birdwatching, migration

For most feeder watchers in North America, the southward migration of the hummingbird is not so exciting as the northward migration. The numbers slowly dwindle until it becomes apparent that there are no more hummers taking advantage of the feeder and it is taken down. The migration can begin as early as July and last until November, making many unsure as to when they have indeed seen the last hummer of the season until it is already gone.

Here in Eastern Nebraska, however, this is an exciting time. Hummers do not generally nest in this area, but they do pass through while migrating. We get two chances a year to attract these sassy little birds to our yards: during the spring migration and during the fall migration.

And the hummingbird migration is upon us. Ruby throated hummingbirds have been sighted down at Pioneers Park, on the outskirts of the capitol. I have written previously about how to attract hummingbirds. I guess it is time to dust off my feeder and set it out with the others!

backyard birding, birding, birdwatching, hummingbird, migration

Project FeederWatch is a citizen science project that surveys birds that visit feeders in winter. When you register, you get a poster of the most common feeder birds to aid in identification, a booklet describing the count and how to attract birds and a nice calendar to keep track of count days. The data collected during this annual count is published in multiple journals and used by researchers to track the health of our feeder bird populations.

We learned a great deal from participating last year and plan to take part again this year. Not only is it great encouragement to take a few notes while watching your birds, you get to see the results that have been entered online for your state (or any other). It is interesting to see what birds are common in the state. Often, they are the same that are coming to your feeders, but not always.

Counts do not start until November, but FeederWatch will begin sending packets out this month. If this is something you are interested in, now is the time to start thinking about setting up feeders so that you will have something to count when the time comes! The cost is $15 which goes to help pay for the administration of the program.

birding, birdwatching, backyard birding, FeederWatch

The Learning in the Great Outdoors carnival is up, with a multitude of posts to help you keep your children engaged in the great outdoors.

As I have noted before, I occasionally submit posts to a variety of carnivals. A carnival is a sort of blog magazine, with links to entries from several authors on a common theme. I submitted my post on getting your yard NWF certified to this week’s Carnival of Homeschooling, because I thought some families might be interested in pursuing this as an educational opportunity for their children. If you have children (or are just curious about homeschooling), the Carnival of Homeschooling is an interesting carnival to browse.

451 Press is having contest!

What would you buy with $300? Or even $200 or $100? Now is your chance to find out! Comment on any 451 Press site during the month of August and you could win! Three comments will be chosen at random to win a cash prize of $300, $200 or $100. The more you comment the more chances you have to win. So start reading and let those fingers fly.

You could visit some of the other blogs and talk about Lindsay Lohan, or politics or even parenting toddlers. But why would you do that when you can talk about goldfinches, bird seed and cleaning bird baths?

Here is a topic to get you started:

Would you ever consider aggressive measures to control house sparrows such as trapping?

For those who do not already know, a blog carnival is essentially a collection of links on a central theme. Bloggers submit entries they think other carnival participants would like to read and the host puts them together in a single entry.

Since it is good “netiquette” for contributors to then provide a link back to the carnival, I will occasionally be posting on carnivals which do not necessarily have anything to do with birding. I love carnivals and have been participating in them almost since I started my first blog!

This week, my post about our robins is participating in the Carnival of Homeschooling. If you have some time, check out some of the other contributions. Even if you do not homeschool, there are usually a lot of entries about educational activities to do with your children.

blogging, carnivals, carnival of homeschooling

Are you interested in learning more about birds in your area and have the opportunity to meet local birders? Audubon has posted a listing of state offices and local chapters. Local chapters contribute significantly to conservation and education efforts. Look what one of our nearby chapters has planned for this month: 2007 Backyard Habitat Tour. We have only just begun planning our gardens with native birds in mind, so this will be a wonderful opportunity for us to learn a little more.

Many state parks also plan outings and informational sessions. If you are looking for something interesting and educational to occupy the summer months, take a moment to see what educational outreach programs are available at your local parks.

birding, birdwatching, backyard birding, Audubon

To meet a number of birders in one place, how about visiting a carnival just for us? I and the Bird, a carnival for birds and those who love them, is set up and ready for visitors. The best part is that, like backyard birdwatching, you do not have to pack up all the child-related paraphernalia and load the mini-van to get there. Nor will you have to clean cotton candy out of anyone’s hair.

That is because I and the Bird is a blog carnival. What is that? Essentially, a collection of links organized around a common topic, in this case, birds. Stop by, enjoy the exhibits, and learn a bit more from some pretty serious birders!