Project Feederwatch

This post is modified, updated version of one I wrote on my Facebook page on Dec 5.

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Most weekend mornings for the next few months you will find me with a cup of tea watching the birdfeeders for Project Feederwatch, a citizen science project run out of Cornell University. In Project Feederwatch, backyard birders keep a watch on their feeders or other areas where birds gather to count and ID birds. This information helps scientists understand birds' winter behavior.

Red-breasted nuthatch

To get more citizen bang for the science buck, I'm taking photos of birds I see during the Project Feederwatch time and uploading them to iNaturalist, specifically to my iNat Feederwatch project. Before you click through to see the project, I will clarify in advance that I did not see a Hooded Merganser at my feeder. I do not have a pond or small lake in my backyard (sadly). The merganser is included because filtering it out from the project required more twiddling and fiddling with project set up than I wanted to do.

I created a Google album to be able to share the photos across platforms. There is no Hooded Merganser in the photo album but most of the other birds I have reported to Feederwatch are included. Except for the House Sparrow. I have not been able to get a good photo of the House Sparrow which I can't really explain because I get a lot of them.

And I mean a LOT.

I recently estimated close to 75 house sparrows at my feeder. When I entered that number into the Project Feederwatch app, the app basically said "Really? Are you sure?" and I replied "I have five feeders in  a shrubby area in my backyard. I'm sure."

And not only are the House Sparrow numerous, they are squabbly. There is cheeping and flitting and pecking, all manner of birdy nonsense. They crowd out the other birds with their noise and numbers. Sometimes, I go outside to make the House Sparrows fly away—which they do in a great whoosh of wings—just to quiet things down so the other birds like the juncos and nuthatches will come.

Northern Flicker

I'm particularly excited that I saw a Northern Flicker. I did not have any flickers at my feeders last year that I know of. I don't know if this one will become a regular visitor but even if it doesn't it's nice to have a fly by visit.

Since I'm on the topic of rare visitors, I'm hoping for Hairy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers and Song Sparrows which usually comes with snow.  And I hope the Pine Siskins return. They left late last winter never to return. I have it on good authority they found another feeder down the block. I'm trying to not take it personally.

I'm maintaining the feeders at the Farm Island trailhead this December. On my way out to attend to them this morning, I saw a huge flock of European Starlings. It is only a matter of time till they make their way into town, specifically my back yard and start putting a good dent in my bird food budget.  They are another bird I will shoo and scatter. The Sharp Shinned Hawks will eat them so with the starlings will come the hawk. 

Eurasian Collared Dove

My least favorite bird is the Eurasian Collared Doves because they are invasive and kept flying into a sliding glass door, leaving a tragicomic bird imprint on the glass. Now that the deck off that door is completed, I am hopeful we have seen the end of Eurasian Collared Dove/door collisions. I know the dove looks cute in this picture since it has an endearing little tilt of the head but do not be fooled by the camera's angle. They are flappy, ungainly bird whose call sounds like a chicken with laryngitis. 

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