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Location: West of the Catalinas East of the Tortolitas
4,922 posts, read 8,611,724 times
Reputation: 8045
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LordBalfor
We LOVE all the birds in SE Arizona.
Ken
I belong to Cornell University's Project FeederWatch program (anyone can join, it's $15.00 a season Nov. - Apr.) and I count birds at my feeders for two consecutive days every week. I've been doing it for 20 years, since it first started. It's all online now, so it's easier than in the old days. I always wanted to be able to count the summer birds when I did it in Colorado, as we had so many songbirds and hummingbirds, but they were usually gone by November, and all we had were crows, magpies, nuthatches, finches, jays, chickadees, a couple of woodpecker species and a few others. Here, however, I've got hummers almost year round, finches, doves/pigeons, thrashers, cactus wrens, cardinals, pyrrhuloxia, and other species I'm learning to recognize. What I love is the color! Instead of brown, grey or other dull colored birds, I've got beautiful sounding, colorful birds. And, they meet the criteria that I count them while on the feeder. Sitting in the tree doesn't do it, so I had to add a few more feeders to accommodate all the birds. We have white oak, acacia and mesquite, plus oleander and another type of bush I don't recognize yet. Every morning there are hundreds of birds singing in the trees, and the same thing in the evenings. It's just amazing, I never tire of hearing the birds.
I belong to Cornell University's Project FeederWatch program (anyone can join, it's $15.00 a season Nov. - Apr.) and I count birds at my feeders for two consecutive days every week. I've been doing it for 20 years, since it first started. It's all online now, so it's easier than in the old days. I always wanted to be able to count the summer birds when I did it in Colorado, as we had so many songbirds and hummingbirds, but they were usually gone by November, and all we had were crows, magpies, nuthatches, finches, jays, chickadees, a couple of woodpecker species and a few others. Here, however, I've got hummers almost year round, finches, doves/pigeons, thrashers, cactus wrens, cardinals, pyrrhuloxia, and other species I'm learning to recognize. What I love is the color! Instead of brown, grey or other dull colored birds, I've got beautiful sounding, colorful birds. And, they meet the criteria that I count them while on the feeder. Sitting in the tree doesn't do it, so I had to add a few more feeders to accommodate all the birds. We have white oak, acacia and mesquite, plus oleander and another type of bush I don't recognize yet. Every morning there are hundreds of birds singing in the trees, and the same thing in the evenings. It's just amazing, I never tire of hearing the birds.
I belong to Cornell University's Project FeederWatch program (anyone can join, it's $15.00 a season Nov. - Apr.) and I count birds at my feeders for two consecutive days every week. I've been doing it for 20 years, since it first started. It's all online now, so it's easier than in the old days. I always wanted to be able to count the summer birds when I did it in Colorado, as we had so many songbirds and hummingbirds, but they were usually gone by November, and all we had were crows, magpies, nuthatches, finches, jays, chickadees, a couple of woodpecker species and a few others. Here, however, I've got hummers almost year round, finches, doves/pigeons, thrashers, cactus wrens, cardinals, pyrrhuloxia, and other species I'm learning to recognize. What I love is the color! Instead of brown, grey or other dull colored birds, I've got beautiful sounding, colorful birds. And, they meet the criteria that I count them while on the feeder. Sitting in the tree doesn't do it, so I had to add a few more feeders to accommodate all the birds. We have white oak, acacia and mesquite, plus oleander and another type of bush I don't recognize yet. Every morning there are hundreds of birds singing in the trees, and the same thing in the evenings. It's just amazing, I never tire of hearing the birds.
I will have to look into that program...haven't seen a cardinal yet, but the rest sound close....the hummers I have here come to the window and door to let me know it's time to add to the feeder
I belong to Cornell University's Project FeederWatch program (anyone can join, it's $15.00 a season Nov. - Apr.) and I count birds at my feeders for two consecutive days every week. I've been doing it for 20 years, since it first started. It's all online now, so it's easier than in the old days. I always wanted to be able to count the summer birds when I did it in Colorado, as we had so many songbirds and hummingbirds, but they were usually gone by November, and all we had were crows, magpies, nuthatches, finches, jays, chickadees, a couple of woodpecker species and a few others. Here, however, I've got hummers almost year round, finches, doves/pigeons, thrashers, cactus wrens, cardinals, pyrrhuloxia, and other species I'm learning to recognize. What I love is the color! Instead of brown, grey or other dull colored birds, I've got beautiful sounding, colorful birds. And, they meet the criteria that I count them while on the feeder. Sitting in the tree doesn't do it, so I had to add a few more feeders to accommodate all the birds. We have white oak, acacia and mesquite, plus oleander and another type of bush I don't recognize yet. Every morning there are hundreds of birds singing in the trees, and the same thing in the evenings. It's just amazing, I never tire of hearing the birds.
Wow, Marce! Never figured you for a birder. Not that I am, but I just happen to know a person who is/was on the board of the National Audubon Society.
Location: West of the Catalinas East of the Tortolitas
4,922 posts, read 8,611,724 times
Reputation: 8045
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZonyPony
Wow, Marce! Never figured you for a birder. Not that I am, but I just happen to know a person who is/was on the board of the National Audubon Society.
For whatever THAT's worth!
I'm not the kind of birder that has thousands of dollars of equipment like huge binoculors, or birding vests, or any of the other gear you can have; just a Peterson's Field Guide to Western Birds, a Sibley's Guide and a National Geographic Bird Guide. I have a pair of binoculors, but they're nothing spectacular; my strongest camera lens is more powerful than they are.
I got started on this when a friend of ours, who is a wildlife rehabilitator in Dallas was visiting, and mentioned that this new project was being launched. Its purpose was to track birds and their migration patterns and track which populations were shifting, declining or increasing by having Citizen Scientists observe and track backyard birds. (a lot of tracking in that sentence!) She had given us a desert box turtle to rehabilitate while she rehabilitated his mate. The girl had been struck by a car outside of Dallas, and our turtle was in the grass safely away from traffic, but apparently wouldn't leave his mate's side. So, we got the healthy one in 1986, and he's still alive and kicking. He eats scrambled eggs and Gerber Graduates Spaghetti Toddler meals. He lives in a heated box and still goes through hibernation cycles. His name is Yertle (we're so imaginative--but Yertle the Turtle was a favorite Dr. Suess story of mine).
But, to make a long story even longer, I just enjoy the challenge of identificaiton of species, learning their nesting habits, ranges and varieties within the species. I feel the same way about trees and shrubs, and other local flora and fauna. I guess I'm just a frustrated researcher! It also could explain why I majored in Anthropology; I just love being able to say australopithecus! And research early primates and hominids.
I don't know if I'm allowed to do this, or whether our vernerable Board Monitor will pull this thread, but here's the link to Project Feederwatch if anyone's interested. I hope the link works.
A funny (kind of) story from when I first started this project: I was talking to a friend of mine from Oregon and I told him I was counting birds for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and he perked up and said, "Counting birds for a living? I was BORN to count birds!! How much do they pay?" and I responded, "Um, well, actually, I pay THEM to count the birds." There was a long pause on the other end of the phone, and he said, "Shrewd move, Marcy. By the way, I have this bridge....." Yeah. I know.
I'm not the kind of birder that has thousands of dollars of equipment like huge binoculors, or birding vests, or any of the other gear you can have; just a Peterson's Field Guide to Western Birds, a Sibley's Guide and a National Geographic Bird Guide. I have a pair of binoculors, but they're nothing spectacular; my strongest camera lens is more powerful than they are.
I got started on this when a friend of ours, who is a wildlife rehabilitator in Dallas was visiting, and mentioned that this new project was being launched. Its purpose was to track birds and their migration patterns and track which populations were shifting, declining or increasing by having Citizen Scientists observe and track backyard birds. (a lot of tracking in that sentence!) She had given us a desert box turtle to rehabilitate while she rehabilitated his mate. The girl had been struck by a car outside of Dallas, and our turtle was in the grass safely away from traffic, but apparently wouldn't leave his mate's side. So, we got the healthy one in 1986, and he's still alive and kicking. He eats scrambled eggs and Gerber Graduates Spaghetti Toddler meals. He lives in a heated box and still goes through hibernation cycles. His name is Yertle (we're so imaginative--but Yertle the Turtle was a favorite Dr. Suess story of mine).
But, to make a long story even longer, I just enjoy the challenge of identificaiton of species, learning their nesting habits, ranges and varieties within the species. I feel the same way about trees and shrubs, and other local flora and fauna. I guess I'm just a frustrated researcher! It also could explain why I majored in Anthropology; I just love being able to say australopithecus! And research early primates and hominids.
I don't know if I'm allowed to do this, or whether our vernerable Board Monitor will pull this thread, but here's the link to Project Feederwatch if anyone's interested. I hope the link works.
A funny (kind of) story from when I first started this project: I was talking to a friend of mine from Oregon and I told him I was counting birds for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and he perked up and said, "Counting birds for a living? I was BORN to count birds!! How much do they pay?" and I responded, "Um, well, actually, I pay THEM to count the birds." There was a long pause on the other end of the phone, and he said, "Shrewd move, Marcy. By the way, I have this bridge....." Yeah. I know.
Austra... WHO?
I could be wrong, but I believe the mods leave us alone if we plug NON-PROFIT organizations...
Only links that are removed are links to competing web sites, porn, racist sites, etc. A person who has more than 10 posts can make specific recs, to hotel sites, stores, etc. if it isn't off-topic. The TOS are your friends, refresh your mind!
Location: West of the Catalinas East of the Tortolitas
4,922 posts, read 8,611,724 times
Reputation: 8045
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZonyPony
Austra... WHO?
A bunch of primates who came down out of the trees to walk the African savannah. About 3.6 million years before your time, Zony! Although, there may have been some distant relative of Equine running from sabre toothed tigers back then. The thought of that's enough to put your mane in knots!
A bunch of primates who came down out of the trees to walk the African savannah. About 3.6 million years before your time, Zony! Although, there may have been some distant relative of Equine running from sabre toothed tigers back then. The thought of that's enough to put your mane in knots!
Ooooooh... scary...
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, but the rest sound close....the hummers I have here come to the window and door to let me know it's time to add to the feeder
