We each watch for birds in our yard or patches — however, and how many, you wish to define that to be — and keep a list of them to share each month in the Bird Race diary in some way. We will each be keeping track of our own bird lists. Ebird is a very easy way to do that. Or you can write them down in a notebook.
Or you can take pictures and add them to a folder on your computer.
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There are no “rules” for the Bird Race beyond what you set for yourself. Some ideas for information that you might share here as part of the conversation, any combinations of:
- A total list or count of birds you have seen: monthly, year to date, life
- New birds you have seen, since the last tally
- Interesting behavior you have seen
- Any patterns or changes in patterns
- General location in the country
- Type of habitat
- Bird ID sites or articles you have found helpful, general or bird family specific
- Equipment you use, how you use it, why you got it, where you got it, how to maintain and care for it
- Photo processing tips and storage/display sites
If you move or travel during the year, it would be very interesting to compare the backyard birds you see in different settings!
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Terminology
- Patch — A favorite area to bird usually not your immediate backyard
- Observation — Seeing or hearing a bird that you can positively ID
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The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge.
We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns spinning around us.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
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My Yard is the area around my apartment complex. My Patch is my yard plus a nearby park with ponds. My other groupings are County, State, US and above.
April is usually a good month for me to add a good number of species to my annual list and this April was no exception. I added 5 species to my yard, Brewer’s Blackbird, Mallard, Tree Swallow, Turkey Vulture, and Western Kingbird to bring my yearly total to 22. I also added 5 to my patch with same species except with a switch of a Double-crested Cormorant for a Brewer’s blackbird. My yearly total is now 36. I added 43 to my county list, Band-tailed Pigeon, Bank, Barn, Cliff, Northern Rough-winged, and Violet-green Swallows, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Bonaparte’s Gull, Brewer’s, Chipping, Savannah, Vesper, and White-throated Sparrows, Brown-headed Cowbird, Caspian Tern, Cedar Waxwing, common Yellowthroat, Dunlin, Eared, Horned, and Western Grebes, Gray Flycatcher, Greater and Lesser Scaups, Hairy Woodpecker, Horned Lark, House Wren, Least Sandpiper, Long-billed Curlew and Dowitcher, Orange-crowned Warbler, Osprey, Pygmy Nuthatch, Sage Thrasher, Sandhill Crane, Swainson’s Hawk, Virginia Rail, Western Kingbird, Meadowlark, and Tanager, White-faced Ibis, Willet, and Yellow-headed Blackbird. My total is now 147. For state and above levels I added the same 43 birds plus a Lincoln’s Sparrow, bringing that total to 148.
Next Bird Race report day is Saturday, June 10, 2023.