Citizen Science: Project FeederWatch -- Count #11 Report w/Original Photos
Citizen science is a great way to involve children and adults in discovery and contribute to scientific research and conservation. Project FeederWatch through Cornell University is a great way to get involved in citizen science. You can learn more at the Project FeederWatch website.
I typically watch birds on Saturday and Sunday. This is my report from my eastern Nebraska feeder site for 21-22 January 2017.
Created Using MS PowerPoint and Images from Project FeederWatch
January 2017
The 2016-2017 season goes through 7 April 2017.
Bird Watching Notes
It was a slow weekend for watching birds. It seemed like most of the time I watched the feeders there were no birds present.
Saturday
Saturday morning I saw two coyotes running in the woods. I am still trying to get photographs of the coyotes in the area.
It could be that the reduced number of bird species I observed was due to the coyotes and other predators in the area.
Downy Woodpecker
Original Photo
Image Source
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Original Photo
Image Source
Sunday
White-Breasted Nuthatch
I saw three White-Breasted Nuthatchs in my feeder area on Sunday. That's a new record for my feeder area.
Original Photo
Image Source
Bird Counts
Counts for Current Period
My bird counts for the two-day period 21 - 22 January 2017.
Snapshot from Project FeederWatch Bird Count Summary
Summary of Counts this Season
Snapshot from Project FeederWatch Bird Count Summary
Previous Project FeederWatch Post
Citizen Science: Project FeederWatch -- Count #10
Use of Original Photos
I used the SteemIt icon in my photo credit to indicate these photographs were originally posted on SteemIt.
The photographs in this post are free to be used by anyone as long as the photo credit is left on the photographs.
Wow - you've had a couple slow weekends! Thank goodness for those House Sparrows, eh? ; ) It's interesting to see that the presence of the Sharp-shinned Hawk didn't seem to have any effect on your numbers. Keep those peanuts flowing! :D
The golfers were out on Saturday too. I found two golf balls in my yard on Sunday. So there was human activity in the area on Saturday. When the golf carts go by, that scares the birds too.
This could be the lull right before the spring migration when new birds start showing up at my feeders.
I'm just grasping at straws for possible explanations. But that is why turning in the numbers to the researchers matters. With the data they collect from all the FeederWatch sites they can put together the shift in patterns.
Today is the day I refill the peanuts for the weekend. Yes, the peanut flow continues.
Thanks for the comment!
Mike
It will be a lot easier for the researchers to see the ebb and flow of where the birds are going, that's for sure. Watch out for those golf balls, lol!
I found two golf balls in my yard last weekend.
Yesterday it got up to 60 degrees here. The golfers were out again. I haven't checked my backyard for golf balls yet.
Steem on,
Mike