Great Backyard Bird Count

Despite the problems of the larger world, here in our Sedillo home, we have been enjoying the little things that make our individual lives rich and happy.
A few weeks ago, I mentioned that the birds are back singing in the mornings as we take our walks.

This weekend is the annual Great Backyard Birdcount 2009 which is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society. The count started on Friday and continues through Monday (Presidents' Day). Thus far, 27,220 checklists have been submitted (we have submitted three), 532 species have been observed, and over three million individual birds have been counted. You can still participate today and tomorrow, and you have several weeks to submit your checklists. Just go to the website linked above and the rest is very easy!

Here is my best picture this year, taken through the bedroom clerestory. This is a Stellar's Jay perched in the bare branches of the Aspen on the northwest side of the house. Unfortunately, the light was such that you see the bird in silhouette. Stellar's Jays are actually a very bright blue. There were two beautiful birds in the tree, but never occupied the same frame at the same time.

We have counted the usual species seen here: Black-capped Chickadees, Common Ravens, Red-tailed Hawks, Pinyon Jays, Stellar's Jays, Crows, and Dark-eyed Juncos (the slate-gray variety common to the Southern Rockies). But most unusually this year, I saw three Lincoln Sparrows in the tree outside my window. It's pretty early for them, so I have no idea why they are here. It was so unusual that I had to check my book (twice) and the internet, too. And when I submitted my checklist, Cornell wanted the ID confirmed. Unfortunately, I was so busy checking my book that I did not get a picture. By the time I thought of it, they had flown away.