We are always counting. With the economy in our faces everyday, it's hard not to. People are watching their bird feeders this winter, and discussing the numbers of this species and that species, and what's up and what's down. It all started last fall with the question, where are all the birds? Then someone reported recently that chickadee numbers were down. Yet other people have indicated that they are the same or up in numbers. Where goldfinches seem to be abundant this year, other bird feeder regulars are absent. Then someone will report the opposite. From our neighbors in Canada, the Winter Finch Forecast for 2010 did not predict any major influx of redpolls or siskins this winter. (Google winter finch forecast for details.)

This, for the most part, has been true. Seed crops of certain types of trees are the key to winter bird survival. The general consensus is that feeder numbers are down this year. In a nutshell, we really just don't know what to expect from year to year. To help figure out how bird populations are doing over the long haul, everyone can observe, count and share information about the birds they see. Which leads me to the important part, our annual winter bird count is almost here. Let the count down begin to the Great Backyard Bird Survey over President's Day weekend, Friday, February 12, through Monday, February 15. Participants count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the event and report their sightings online at www.birdcount.org. It is one of the easiest citizen surveys I know. Keep your bird feeders stocked up to bring the birds in, start watching and make a list of what you see. Also on this website, you can brush up on your winter birds with a regional checklist and identification aids.

There have been a few rare bird visitors this winter, for example the hawk owls. This is an adorable little owl (Surnia ulula) with some hawklike behaviors. Ranging from Alaska across Canada to Labrador, this visitor will most likely a juvenile. Typically perched on the top most branch of a tree, they wait for prey (mice, voles) to venture forth. They have been seen hovering, much like a sparrow hawk.

Which leads me to the next important part, NEK Audubon is on Facebook. We are now able to post the bird sightings from our trips or other observations. There is a picture of the hawk owl and directions to its location in the Derby/Newport area. Most importantly (outside of the social coolness) anyone on Facebook, which could be you, can post bird sitings on our page and find out where birds are being seen.

Happy Backyard Bird Counting!

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Bird Notes Archive:
BirdNotes-Feb10 The Count Down - The Northern Hawk Owl and the Backyard Bird Count
BirdNotes-Jan10 A Cardinal Year - The cardinal: a northeast favorite
BirdNotes-Nov09 All Nests Left Behind - The beauty of 'stick season'
BirdNotes-Oct09 Early Snows - Wildlife Refuges of Lake Champlain and Snow Gees
BirdNotes-Sept09 Changing Colors - Molting and color changes in birds
BirdNotes-Aug09 Top Ten Long Distance Flyers - Cedar Arctic Tern, Cape May Warbler and other marathon flyers
BirdNotes-July09 Lessons Learned - Cedar waxwings, black bears and hummingbird feeders
BirdNotes-June09 Misty Mornings - Bird banding and research at Nulhegan Basin Reguge
BirdNotes-May09 Responsibility Birds - Managing your land and how it relates to 39 birds "of concern"
BirdNotes-April09 Enchanted April - Early migrants arrive as spring emerges in the Northeast Kingdom
BirdNotes-March09 Blessed Are The Sapsuckers - Of Sinzibuckwud and sapsuckers.
BirdNotes-Feb09 Cabin Fever Cure - Birdwatching as cure for cabin fever
BirdNotes-Jan09 Counting On Birds - Birdwatching in winter and the Great Backyard Bird Count
BirdNotes-Dec08 A Snowy Winter So Far - Winter visitations of boreal owls
BirdNotes-Nov08 Season After Season - Birdwatching in an in-between season ...
BirdNotes-Oct08 Loon Watching - Loon migration
BirdNotes-Sept08 Feathered Forecasting - Using the weather to predict fall migration and seed crops/small mammal populations to forecast winter bird visitors.
BirdNotes-Aug08 Top Ten Myths About Hummers - Debunking hummingbird myths.
BirdNotes-July08 Astonishingly Good News for Birds - Preserving the boreal forest for birds.
BirdNotes-June08 The Beauty of Blue - Finding blue birds.
BirdNotes-May08 Bird Banding in the Basin - Something special awaits at the Nulhegan Basin NWR
BirdNotes-April08 Birdwatching At The Supermarket - How our eating habits affect our feathered friends
BirdNotes-March08 Springing in Like a Lion - Winter and spring birds blend together with winter's slow retreat
BirdNotes-Feb08 Birds Leap Ahead This Year - Leap year observations, predators and prey
BirdNotes-Jan08 The New Year's Owl - Owls mating season
BirdNotes-Dec07 Christmas Bird Count - Bringing birds and people together
BirdNotes-Nov07 Early Winter Birdfeeding Surprises - Surviving the winter
BirdNotes-Oct07 Winter Bird Forecasting -Predicting bird populations
BirdNotes-Sept07 Something To Do With Magnets - The wonders of migration
BirdNotesAugust07 Top Ten Birds - The sad facts: birds in decline.
BirdNotes-July07 Stupid Bird Tricks - Hummingbird and Wild Turkey antics.
BirdNotes-June07 Moonlight in Vermont - Meadowlarks and Nighthawks.
BirdNotes-May07 Glory Days - Vermont Breeding Bird Atlas, bird banding, warblers.
BirdNotes-April07 Migration Headache - Preparing for the return of the birds.
BirdNotes-March07 Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night - An Early Sign of Spring
BirdNotes-Feb07 Cooling Off and Warming Up - How do birds stay warm?
BirdNotes-Jan07 Boreal Breeders, the Backyard Bird Count - Winter breeding birds
BirdNotes-Dec06 Birding in a Winter Wonderland - Winter birding on a seasonal note
BirdNotes-Nov06 Birds of Early Winters Past and Present - The Christmas Bird Count
BirdNotes-Oct06 Pre-Seasonal Specialties - Waterfowl migration and winter visitors
BirdNotes-Sept06 Up, Up and Away! - Hawk migration, where and when
BirdNotesAug06 And They're Off! - Fall migration
BirdNotesJuly06 Community Trails for All - Public birding trails
BirdNotes-June06 Summer Hummers - Looking at the Ruby-throated Hummingbird
BirdNotes-May06 Habitat Birdwatching Explained - Identifying birds by habitat
BirdNotes-Apr06 Why Do Birds Sing? - A bird song primer
BirdNotes-Mar06 Preparing for Cavity Nesters Arrival - Nest box maintenance
BirdNotes-Feb06 Awaiting Seasonal Surprises - Watching for early birds
BirdNotes-Jan06 Another Holiday Bird Count - The Great Backyard Bird Count
BirdNotes-Dec05 An Alternative Holiday Tradition for over 100 Years - Origins of the Christmas Bird Count

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