It’s been a weird week with some periods that were very birdy and stretches that were relatively quiet. Backyard bird watching is like that. Sometimes the feeders were very busy. Other times they were not. The weather has become a little milder towards the latter part of the week and that may be making a bit of a difference with bird activity.
The good news is that the Mourning Dove is still around and seems to be settling into a bit of a routine at the feeder. While it still has difficulties figuring out the wire fence around the garden if it is approaching on foot, a little encouragement helps it to realize that it has to fly over the fence in order to get to the feed. A pair of Bewick’s Wrens and a single Ruby-crowned Kinglet made appearances at the suet feeder this week. These highlight birds aren’t as common and make backyard bird watching worthwhile. It is always good to see a few new birds while participating in Project FeederWatch. The regulars like spotted towhees, dark-eyed junco, and a variety of sparrows are back as well.
Backyard Bird Watching List
- Song Sparrow
- House Sparrow
- Dark-eyed Junco (including 1 Slate-coloured Junco)
- Chestnut-backed Chickadee
- Spotted Towhee
- House Finch
- Downy Woodpecker
- Mourning Dove
- Bewick’s Wren (2)
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet (new!)
As part of Project FeederWatch, I’m keeping an eye on our feeders two days out of the week to help scientists track winter bird activity, abundance and diversity. It’s a great way to spend an hour or two drinking coffee and peering out into the rain. I’ve also decided to start a yard list of all the birds that visit our backyard.
