To kick off 2020, I’m expanding my “backyard” to include not just my own property but also those places I go to on my daily walkies. That includes 4 different beaches within ¼-½ mile of my house.
Part of the reason I’m expanding my “backyard” definition is I’m not able to be up and about as much as I used to be due to physical debility. My sampling will be more limited in time but more varied in habitat. I’ve been reporting my bird observations to eBird for some years now, so it’s easy enough to compare across years for the same locales. I’m looking on this project as a way of exploring the phenology of bird behavior in my immediate surroundings, where I can get to under my own steam.
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This monthly diary will serve as a gathering place for us to share what we’ve discovered birdwise.
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There are no “rules” for the BirdRace beyond what you set for yourself. Some ideas for information that you might share here as part of the conversation, any combination of:
- a total list of birds you’ve seen
- new birds you’ve seen, after the first month
- interesting behavior you’ve seen
- any patterns or changes in patterns
- general location in the country
- type of habitat
If you move during the year, it would be very interesting to compare the backyard birds you see in the different settings!
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My general locale is coastal northwest Washington state, a mix of habitats from shrubs to woods to roadside to beach overlook.
Weather in January was a mix of a snowy cold snap sandwiched between unrelenting record rainfall. Winter drama!
Total birds for January were about half my annual total last year. It’s pretty typical to list all our regulars first thing. Birds include my daily feeder birds, usual winter aquatic birds, and who I see overhead. As the year goes on, there will a few I add each month, and sometimes no new birds.
Please add your first Birdrace observations in a comment below.
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And of course as always, we welcome your notes about any aspect of nature in your area.
This diary is also The Daily Bucket for today.
The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge.
We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns.
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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Weather today: Overcast and much cooler in the PNW islands. Upper 30s after a week of 50° during the day.
What’s up in nature in your area?
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