Backyard Bird Race April Reports and Daily Bucket Open Thread

What did you find at the beginning of Spring Migration?

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Last BBR bucket was April 19.

The Backyard Bird Race will be posted on the third Saturday of each month.

Red-wing Blackbird

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.

Black-chinned Hummingbird

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!

Lesser Goldfinch

Terminology Patch — A favorite area to bird usually not your immediate backyard                                   Observation — Seeing or hearing a bird that you can positively ID

Black-billed Magpie

Linksville                                                                                                                                                             Cornell Lab of Ornithology How to Recognize Woodpecker by Their Drumming eBird Avian Hybrids How to Photograph Fidgety Warblers Yellow-rumped Warbler: "Myrtle" vs "Audubon" National Audubon Society Kingbird Identification Junco species and subspecies The Warbler Guide Bird Hybrids ID Red-tail Hawk forms More ID Red-tailed Hawk forms Distinguishing Cackling and Canada Geese Harlan's Hawks (Red-tailed Hawk form) Harlan's Hawk Krider's Hawk (Red-tailed Hawk form) The Owl Pages Gull IDs Liam Singh's gull ID chart Immature, Hybrid Gull IDs

American Avocets

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.

Sage Thrasher

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.

I observed 116 species in April and kept photos of 65 of them.

New species for the year are as follows.

Please share your nature observations and bird counts. Feel free to ask questions about birds, birding equipment and photography

Next Bird Race report day is June 21.

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