Jaci Dawn

Project Feeder Watch is officially over next Friday. I love doing this: you just have to watch your bird feeder for two days in a row every five to ten days apart and keep track of the number and species of bird visitors. I learned about the project from someone on Facebook 3 years ago, but I didn’t participate until the winter of 2009-10. It was so much fun that I decided to do it again this winter.

I’ll continue to watch the birds all summer, I just won’t keep track of how many of each species comes to my feeder until Project Feeder Watch begins again next Fall.

It’s been a frustrating winter: the birds didn’t come to my feeder in huge flocks, but in small doses. Today, the last day, was typical: the most birds of one species that came to the feeder at one time was 4 dark-eyed juncos.

Last winter, I had counts like 17 bushtits or 15 band-tailed pigeons at one time.

This weekend was a good birding day, not because of the huge numbers but because of the large variety of birds that stopped by: 11 different species. And some of them held still long enough for me to get photos. How exciting is that?

One of the four dark-eyed juncos. Usually I have more than four juncos at a time.

I also had 3 English House Sparrows, 2 Chipping Sparrows and 3 House Finches.

This male House Finch was dueling one of the English House Sparrows for a spot on the feeder. The finch eventually won (they are both finches, technically: the English House Sparrow is a Weaver Finch).

The usual birds came by and a new one for the season: black-throated hummingbird. I didn’t get a photo of the elusive hummer: darn!

An American Robin even dropped in.

I had 2 Chestnut-backed Chickadees and 2 Black-capped Chickadees, only 1 bushtit (that’s highly unusual as they fly in large flocks but it is nesting season so it probably has a nearby nest that mama is sitting on. I hope), and one red-breasted nuthatch.

But my favorite for the day was a rare sighting in a feeder.

The Rufous-sided Towhee. I love this bird! He’s colorful and has strange red eyes and a unique “buzzing” call. And this one held still long enough for me to get a decent photo of him.

I take my photos through a picture window and I sometimes wonder what the neighbors must think when they see me with camera or binoculars in hand! I’m just watching birds, not spying on people. I promise.