April 2nd, 2007
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| Photo by Glynn Wilson |
| The spring bird migration is off to a slow start, but the white-throated sparrows are making themselves at home here with their neat little call. |
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February 20th, 2007
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| Photo by Glynn Wilson |
| Woops! I spoke too soon. Just couldn’t resist posting this little tufted titmouse [baeolophus bicolor]. Also, according to Rob Fergus, senior scientist for urban bird conservation at the National Audubon Society, Alabama birders have submitted 224 checklists so far and reported 118 species, even though there are several days left for birders to report. Birmingham has submitted the most checklists, 35, followed by Tuscaloosa with 12 and Anniston with 8. The state report is available in map format at tinyurl.com/2fos5u, and the BirdSource.Org site is still taking reports at birdsource.org/gbbc. |
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February 19th, 2007
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| Photo by Glynn Wilson |
| This is, no doubt, a Carolina chickadee [poecile carolinensis] hiding seeds in the bark of a dogwood tree near the Jefferson County-Blount County line in Middle Alabama. The mercury only made it up to 55 today, but it was the nicest day of the bird count. Unfortunately, the birds were off playing in someone else’s yard for the most part this afternoon. The robins were back, but they are not convinced its spring, yet. I chased one around the house trying to get a photo worth posting. No luck. Maybe the good folks at Cornell and Audubon ought to consider moving this bird count event forward a week or two. The spring migration will be in full-swing in a couple of weeks. Can’t wait to see those cedar waxwings and grosbeaks again. Maybe I can get a serviceable shot of that amazing, almost purple blue grosbeak |
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February 19th, 2007
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| Photo by Glynn Wilson |
| A male Northern cardinal [cardinalis cardinalis] visits a dogwood tree on day three of the Great Backyard Birdcount. The cardinals always seem to be the last birds to visit the feeders in the late afternoon. And they always issue their short, sharp warning call to alert the other birds when the hawks circle overhead, the cats come sneaking into the yard, or humans (like me) come sneaking around with a camera : ) But as time goes by, they seem to get used to me. Maybe they realize I’m the one keeping them in birdfeed and fresh water and making sure the bird baths stay clean. Some people may consider it cheating to put out food for the birds and then take their picture. But our philosophy is, humans have taken the birds’ habitat, fragmented it and polluted it, so it is our duty to help them out a little - especially in the cold winter months. And let’s face it. Life in the suburbs would be a dismal affair without them… |
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