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The Great Backyard Bird Count Was Lots of Fun!

Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) photos by Larry Jordan

I missed the first day of the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) because I had to work on Friday 🙁 But I had Monday off for President’s Day 😀

Guess where my Great Backyard Bird Count took place? That’s right, in my backyard. I had a total of 21 species including two female Anna’s Hummingbirds collecting nesting material (click on photos for full sized images) and one male perched at the top of an oak tree looking out over his domain.

There were Western Scrub-Jays a plenty, I counted seven at one time.

Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)

Acorn Woodpeckers abound in my area though my high count in my yard this weekend was only four.

Acorn Woodpecker Male (Melanerpes formicivourus)

The second highest count was for Lesser Goldfinches at 26.

Lesser Goldfinch Male (Carduelis psaltria)

I had probably more Purple Finches in my yard this weekend than ever before. I took this shot of the female, that doesn’t get as much glory as the more brightly colored male of the species, as she came out into the open.

Purple Finch Female (Carpodacus purpureus)

This Nuttall’s Woodpecker was being very cagey and I never got a good photo of him but I was just glad to have him on my count!

Nuttall’s Woodpecker (Picoides nuttallii)

Of course this time of year, the Dark-eyed Juncos, also known as snow birds to some, travel in large flocks. I had only 36 as a high in my back yard when I did my count. There were a lot more out of my sight!

Dark-eyed Junco Male (Junco hyemalis)

Here’s my list for the three days I was able to count:

  1. Turkey Vulture
  2. Red-shouldered Hawk
  3. Eurasian Collared-Dove
  4. Mourning Dove
  5. Anna’s Hummingbird
  6. Acorn Woodpecker
  7. Nuttall’s Woodpecker
  8. Northern Flicker
  9. Western Scrub-Jay
  10. Oak Titmouse
  11. White-breasted Nuthatch
  12. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
  13. American Robin
  14. Hermit Thrush
  15. Yellow-rumped Warbler
  16. Spotted Towhee
  17. Dark-eyed Junco
  18. Purple Finch
  19. House Finch
  20. Pine Siskin
  21. Lesser Goldfinch

Good birding! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. If you want to see more birds form around the world, check out World Bird Wednesday!

Comments on this entry are closed.

  • Mia McPherson February 21, 2012, 7:40 am

    Looks like you had a great GBBC Larry!

  • TexWisGirl February 21, 2012, 8:40 am

    you got some beauties! all not available here, except for the junco (and then we get the slate-colored, not the tri-colored). really beautiful!

  • Boom & Gary February 21, 2012, 10:58 am

    Great count, and photo session. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

  • Wanda February 21, 2012, 11:36 am

    Love that Acorn Woodpecker! Sounds like you had a good count. I wanted to participate, but would have only had one day to do so. Did get to capture my first Dark-eyed Junco and YB Sapsucker!

  • Andrew February 21, 2012, 12:14 pm

    You had some wonderful birds…
    Well done.

  • joo February 21, 2012, 2:06 pm

    First photo is smashing!

  • Mick February 21, 2012, 2:36 pm

    All great photos but the first one is perfect!

  • Eileen February 21, 2012, 3:01 pm

    Great birds for your count, Larry! I love the Acorn Woodie and the hummingbird. But, they are all beautiful photos, thanks for sharing.

  • Carletta February 21, 2012, 10:09 pm

    Lovely shots of your backyard visitors!
    What a paradise you have there.
    I’d never heard of the Acorn Woodpecker so I enjoyed your sharing him.

  • CameraCruise February 22, 2012, 6:14 am

    Beautiful shots of your visitors.
    Love the first one.
    We had our annual bird count a couple of weeks ago.
    Happy to say the number of visitors has increased.
    I still don’t get your updates on my blogglist.
    Any suggestions what I can do?
    Mette

  • Mama Zen February 22, 2012, 9:19 am

    Great captures!

  • Modesto Viegas (Portugal) February 22, 2012, 1:41 pm

    Great shots!!!
    Is hard to choose…….

  • holdingmoments February 22, 2012, 2:01 pm

    Great count Larry.

    We have a similar thing here, and the birds must know. They keep away lol

  • springman February 22, 2012, 4:58 pm

    Great count, I wish I had taken part. Your back yard photography is excellent! I’ll bet you were using your tripod.
    Nice that your getting hummingbird pictures already. We didn’t see many last summer and I hope to get some chances this year.
    Your Acorn woodpecker has such a perfect exposure. That black back is deep.
    Beautiful stuff all ’round Larry. Even your branches look cool!

  • Nadege February 23, 2012, 12:01 am

    An amazing collection.

  • Sue H February 23, 2012, 5:48 am

    Amazing pictures! That hummingbird photo is really a “wow”.

  • hannah February 23, 2012, 3:29 pm

    What a collection.
    Beautiful birds in your every day.
    I am still reeling from the mountain lion story you have elsewhere.
    That is as bad as the Victorians bagging lions and tigers in Africa in the 19th century. I thought that didn’t exist any longer.

  • Pieces of Sunshine February 24, 2012, 1:51 am

    Wonderful collection of birds, none of which we have in Australia. There’s always something new to see and do, no matter where you are.

  • Liz February 26, 2012, 4:56 am

    WOW Larry! How blessed are you to have so many birds, and so much colour, right in your own back yard!! I would love to spend a few days in your backyard – I would be in birdwatcher’s heaven (by my standards anyway).
    I love looking at all the lovely birds from the US. Thanks for sharing.
    I discovered a wonderful duck which I shared this week on WBW – The Plumed Whistling Duck (I didn’t even know of it until my chance “meeting”)

  • Ken Schneider February 26, 2012, 9:56 am

    I see that hummingbird is still collecting nest material! Great backyard experience!

  • Robin R Robinson February 28, 2012, 7:45 am

    Great images, wonderfully sharp. Love the hummer with nesting material. It is a terrifically unique shot.

  • Geoff Clarke March 15, 2012, 7:41 pm

    Great photos, especially of the hummingbird. I live in Canada so we only get the ruby-throated hummingbird and not for a few more weeks yet. I can hardly wait!
    Geoff