Backyard Count

This morning I had the most birds in my backyard this winter. Here is the list:

1) 4 Dark-Eyed Junco's
2) 2 Red-Breasted Nuthatches
3) 33 Common Redpolls
4) 6 Hoary Redpolls
5) 2 American Crows
6) 5 Rock Pigeons
7) 6 European Starlings
8) 1 Red Crossbill
9) 7 American Goldfinches
10) 2 Hairy or Downy Woodpeckers (one female, one male) - posted picture here
http://birdingnewbrunswick.ca/forum/topics/hairy-or-downy-woodpecker - hoping to get some help as to which it is

Almost 70 birds in one morning!

*Update - They were 2 Hairy Woodpeckers not Downy. The members on birdingnewbrunswick.ca are very helpful and knowledgeable!

Red Crossbill

This morning more than 30 Redpolls were at my feeders. I just happened to look at each one before I went to make breakfast and noticed that one bird was larger and had more red. This picture was taken through the window to my patio door. I went outside to try to get a better picture but it was gone. This Red Crossbill was the first one in my backyard and the first one I've ever seen so any picture is better than none at all!

Yellow-rumped Warbler

I got this shot in my backyard last October. My 2 year old asked what kind of bird it was (he's very interested in birds, he even chases away the squirrels with me!) and unlike many other birds, its name is quite self-explanatory.

GBBC

I participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count  (http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc) a few days ago.
Unfortunately, there were not as many birds around with the blizzard going through the Maritimes on Sunday. I started using this site, http://ebird.org/content/canada, last week to document the birds that I've seen.

Here is what was feeding in my backyard on Sunday:

9 Rock Pigeons
2 American Crows
5 Black-capped Chickadees
1 Red-breasted Nuthatch
8 European Starlings
5 Common Redpolls
3 American Goldfinches

Monday - Storm day so I was home from school

9 Rock Pigeons
2 American Crows
6 Black-capped Chickadees
1 Red-breasted Nuthatch
19 European Starlings
5 Common Redpolls
9 American Goldfinches

7 different species both days. Someday I'll get more variety once we move out to the country!

Before and After - Great Blue Heron

Nuthatches

I get these two different types of nuthatches all year in my backyard. The first one is white-breasted and the second is a red-breasted nuthatch.

Grafton - Pileated Woodpecker, Baltimore Oriole

Last May I went for a walk by the Grafton bridge. I was just about to leave when out of the corner of my eye, I saw a Baltimore Oriole for the first time and only time since. Then as I was walking to my car to leave, a Pileated Woodpecker was hammering away into a dead log.

Pine Grosbeaks

 

 

I took these pictures of male and female Pine Grosbeaks in my neighbor's yard in November. Here are two of my best shots.

 

 

Double-Crested Cormorant

This is one of my favorite pictures I have managed to take so far. I took a risk and brought my camera with me out on my kayak. I got pretty close to this Cormorant and took this photo. This is on the river in front of my in-law's cottage in Dunedin, PEI.

Welsford

I'm pretty sure this is a Barred Owl. So far, it is the only owl I've managed to get a picture of. It just stayed perched in this tree watching us as we were hiking up to go rappelling in Welsford.

Maple Ridge - American Kestrel

I took this picture of an American Kestrel while going up Maple Ridge this past fall.

Unknown

This shot was taken on Grand Manan Island at the Anchorage Provincial Park Labor Day weekend.

With some help, I now believe this to be a Northern Harrier.

This is the same bird as the one perched in the first photo. I watched it fly (got this picture) and then got another one when it stopped on that tree. You can see the white rump so I believe it is a juvenile Northern Harrier. 

In October a few years ago, I was in my backyard early in the morning and this Cooper's Hawk surprised me.

And this one I took this past summer walking along the Clyde River road (PEI). Also with some help, I now believe this to be an immature Merlin.

Thanks members of http://birdingnewbrunswick.ca/ for the help!

"God loved the birds and invented trees. Man loved the birds and invented cages." ~Jacques Deval, Afin de vivre bel et bien

Today I watched 9 different bird species in my backyard. For my first official post, I'm going to list all the species that spent time eating from my feeders.

1) 6-7 American Goldfinchs

2) 6-7 Black-capped Chickadees

3) A couple of American Crows

4) Too many Rock Pigeons

5) Almost a dozen European Starlings

6) One Downy Woodpecker at the suet feeder

7) One Red-breasted Nuthatch also eating some suet

8) Surprising, only one Common Redpoll

9) Last but not least, the first Dark-eyed Junco I've seen since last Spring (maybe the Groundhog was wrong this year, here's to hoping!)

 

In the past few weeks, only 3 other types of birds have spent time in my backyard: Cedar Waxwings, Blue Jays, and Mourning Doves.

 

I have included a picture of the solitary Common Redpoll that spent a lot of time in this position this afternoon.