Great Backyard Bird Count Wrap-up

A disappointing 2015 Great Backyard Bird Count has come to an end for me. While the first three days of the count featured fair to excellent weather and birding conditions, this last day was a bit of a wash - literally. It was wet and cold which resulted in my being able to spend only about thirty minutes actually looking at birds. I doubt if it would have mattered much if I'd been able to spend more time. There just weren't that many birds to see.

My weekend of birding in my yard ended with a total of 28 species. I also spent an hour or so on Saturday at Brazos Bend State Park and found 21 species. Even at the park, which is usually a very birdy place, there were not a lot of birds to be seen.

As of 6:00 P.M. this afternoon, my yard ranked 187th overall among the sites that had reported, but counts are still being entered and tabulated so that is almost sure to change. Birders will still be sending in their reports until the end of the month when data collection is closed.

Of the 28 species which I reported, all were common residents. I did not see any unusual or unexpected birds this year. I did have one Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, a bird that is in the area during winter but one that I don't always see on my yard count. But other than that it was pretty ho-hum.

As usual, the most numerous bird that I was able to report was the American Goldfinch. I had flocks of 30 - 40 birds at the feeders at times.

The Chipping Sparrows were a close second. I've actually had more of these wonderful little birds this winter than I have in most winters. Flocks of 15 - 20 are common.

The White-winged Doves have been one of the surprises of the winter, in that there have not been the big flocks that I normally see in winter. It's rare to see as many as ten at the feeders at once, whereas in previous years they would have covered the feeders. More disappointingly, the White-wingeds were the only doves that I saw during this count. I did not have a single Eurasian Collared-dove, Inca Dove, or even a Mourning Dove to report.

A couple of times I had moderately-sized flocks of Brown-headed Cowbirds in the yard, but they were the only member of the blackbird family. I had no Common Grackles or Red-winged Blackbirds as I do in most years.

Even the Cooper's Hawk that is present in the backyard on most days did not show up to be counted. At least the Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawk pairs were more cooperative.

The highlight of the count for me was the presence of a Red-headed Woodpecker this year. When we moved here in 1988, there were still plenty of woods in the area and plenty of Red-headed Woodpeckers present. Over the years, the woods have been cut down to provide house sites and the Red-heads have moved on. These days, it is rare to have one in or around my yard and so this one was very welcome indeed.

Poetry Sunday: Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver

How about we share another Mary Oliver poem? After all, you can never have too many of those. In this one, the poet seems to acknowledge that it is often hard to simply live in and enjoy the moment, perhaps because we are afraid it can't last. She urges us to give in to that moment and fully experience the joy. Although "much can never be redeemed, still, life has some possibility left." Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happens better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is no...

Poetry Sunday: Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney

My mother was a farm wife and a prodigious canner. She canned fruit and vegetables from the garden, even occasionally meat. But the best thing that she canned, in my opinion, was blackberry jam. Even as I type those words my mouth waters! Of course, before she could make that jam, somebody had to pick the blackberries. And that somebody was quite often named Dorothy. I think Seamus Heaney might have spent some time among the briars plucking those delicious black fruits as well, so he would have known that "Once off the bush the fruit fermented, the sweet flesh would turn sour." They don't keep; you have to get that jam made in a hurry! Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney Late August, given heavy rain and sun For a full week, the blackberries would ripen. At first, just one, a glossy purple clot Among others, red, green, hard as a knot. You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet Like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it Leaving stains upon the tongue and lust ...

Poetry Sunday: Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman

You probably remember poet Amanda Gorman from her appearance at the inauguration of President Biden. She read her poem "The Hill We Climb" on that occasion. After the senseless slaughter in Uvalde this week, she was inspired to write another poem which was published in The New York Times. It seemed perfect for the occasion and so I stole it in order to feature it here, just in case you didn't get a chance to read it in the Times . Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman Everything hurts, Our hearts shadowed and strange, Minds made muddied and mute. We carry tragedy, terrifying and true. And yet none of it is new; We knew it as home, As horror, As heritage. Even our children Cannot be children, Cannot be. Everything hurts. It’s a hard time to be alive, And even harder to stay that way. We’re burdened to live out these days, While at the same time, blessed to outlive them. This alarm is how we know We must be altered — That we must differ or die, That we must triumph or try. ...

The Nature of Things

Search This Blog