January 3, 2021
Welcome back Backyard BirdRacers!
The new and revised version of the Backyard BirdRace is a way to focus attention on birds we see around our neighborhood.
We each watch for birds in our yard — however we each want to define ours — and keep a list of them to share here in the BirdRace diary periodically. 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.
The idea is to watch for who we share our neighborhood with, and to track their occurrence over time. Is somebody new? Has a bird decamped? When do migrating birds come and go, and is that changing?
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Look for the BackyardBirdRace on Sundays, every month or so. Follow the group so you are alerted when a new edition posts.
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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, since the last tally
- 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.
Starting off 2021, I’ve seen the usual feeder birds, who don’t care whether it’s 2020 or 2021. So as usual, my list starts with a bang — additional birds will be added more slowly. The bay during those few minutes we went down to the dock was pretty quiet, but there are winter regulars there too. A lot of marine birds may be sheltering right now due to stormy weather.
Here’s my list so far, using eBird:
Unusual sightings among my feeder birds this winter: gazillions of Pine siskins and the presence of Purple finches. Siskins usually come through for a month or two maybe a couple times a year. This year they’ve been around in large numbers throughout since last spring. Purple finches are usually summer birds for me, very strange to see them now. I’m not the only one seeing lots of finches this winter: it’s a continent-wide irruption due to poor forage in Canada’s boreal forests.
Please add your 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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It’s been raining off and on for days here in the PNW islands, and we’ve had strong gusty winds much of the time too. Didn’t go outside at all yesterday; the day before found a gap in the wet to check the lines of the boat. Gusty winds can really yank on a moored boat, chafing the mooring lines. Don’t want them to part and see the boat floating away! Last night a septic system alarm went off at a neighbor’s place: hydraulic overload in their mound system. Soil doesn’t perc well here, hardpan over bedrock, and the ground is totally saturated now.
Birdies have really been going through the seed lately, not surprising considering the stormy weather and the very short days for them to feed.
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What’s up in nature in your area today?
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IT'S A GREAT WAY TO CATCH UP ON DIARIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED. BE SURE TO RECOMMEND AND COMMENT IN THE DIARY.
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