Great Backyard Bird Count – Day 2

For Day 2 of The Great Backyard Bird Count, I actually did count birds in my backyard, plus a few in the front.

It was one of those cold gray drizzly days that become a perfect reason for not going anywhere and instead staying in making French onion soup. Over the course of the day from about 7:30 to 4:00, I watched for birds. Here’s what I saw and reported:

• 2 Bewick’s wrens
• 2 Mourning doves
• 6 White-winged doves
• 1 Ladder-backed woodpecker
• 13 House sparrows
• 12 Chipping sparrows
• 1 Carolina chickadee

That’s most of the usual suspects for this time of year, except for the black-crested titmouse who must have had better things to do than eat soggy seed in the rain.

I actually saw more birds, but you’re only supposed to count the greatest number of individuals seen together at one time. If I kept count of every time I saw a house sparrow or a white-winged dove sitting around by himself, the counts would be much higher. And I’d be watching for Hitchcock to show up.

James Brush

James Brush is a teacher and writer who lives in Austin, TX. He tries to get outside as much as possible.

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