Join the 20th Great Backyard Bird Count

News Release

January 20, 2015

Join the 20th Great Backyard Bird Count

Bird watchers around the world take part, February 17-20 

For release:  February 2, 2017

Bird watchers from around the world enjoy counting their birds and entering the GBBC photo contest. Photo by Ann Foster, Florida, 2016 GBBC. Download larger image.

New York, NY, Ithaca, NY, and Port Rowan, ON—A lot has changed since the first Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) was held in 1998. Each year brings unwavering enthusiasm from the growing number of participants in this now-global event. The 20th annual GBBC is taking place February 17-20 in backyards, parks, nature centers, on hiking trails, school grounds, balconies, and beaches—anywhere you find birds.
Bird watchers count the birds they see for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count, then enter their checklists at birdcount.org. All the data contribute to a snapshot of bird distribution and help scientists see changes over the past 20 years.
“The very first GBBC was an experiment,” says the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Marshall Iliff, a leader of the eBird program. “We wanted to see if people would use the Internet to send us their bird sightings. Clearly the experiment was a success!” eBird collects bird observations globally every day of the year and is the online platform used by the GBBC.
That first year, bird watchers submitted about 13,500 checklists from the United States and Canada. Fast-forward to the most recent event in 2016. Over the four days of the count, an estimated 163,763 bird watchers from more than 100 countries submitted 162,052 bird checklists reporting 5,689 species–more than half the known bird species in the world.
“The Great Backyard Bird Count is a great way to introduce people to participation in citizen science,” says Audubon vice president and chief scientist Gary Langham. “No other program allows volunteers to take an instantaneous snapshot of global bird populations that can contribute to our understanding of how a changing climate is affecting birds.”
Varying weather conditions so far this winter are producing a few trends that GBBC participants can watch for during the count. eBird reports show many more waterfowl and kingfishers remaining further north than usual because they are finding open water. If that changes, these birds could move southward.

Bohemian Waxwing by A. Blomquist, 2016 GBBC. Download larger image.

Also noted are higher than usual numbers of Bohemian Waxwings in the Pacific Northwest and northern Rocky Mountains. And while some winter finches have been spotted in the East, such as Red Crossbills, Common Redpolls, Evening Grosbeaks, and a few Pine Grosbeaks, there seem to be no big irruptions so far. A few eye-catching Snowy Owls have been reported in the northern half of the United States.
Jon McCracken, Bird Studies Canada’s National Program Director, reminds participants in Canada and the U.S. to keep watch for snowies. He says, “The GBBC has done a terrific job of tracking irruptions of Snowy Owls southward over the past several years. We can’t predict what winter 2017 will bring, because Snowy Owl populations are so closely tied to unpredictable ‘cycles’ of lemmings in the Arctic. These cycles occur at intervals between two and six years.  Nevertheless, there are already reports of Snowy Owls as far south as Virginia.”
In addition to counting birds, the GBBC photo contest has also been a hit with participants since it was introduced in 2006. Since then, tens of thousands of stunning images have been submitted. For the 20th anniversary of the GBBC, the public is invited to vote for their favorite top photo from each of the past 11 years in a special album they will find on the GBBC website home page. Voting takes place during the four days of the GBBC.
Learn more about how to take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count at birdcount.org where downloadable instructions and an explanatory PowerPoint are available. The GBBC is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society with partner Bird Studies Canada and is made possible in part by sponsor Wild Birds Unlimited.

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Why We Go Look

Northern Pintail

I was sitting around this morning looking at my eBird tally for the year. It isn't bad but I missed several species this year. I had no terns, Sanderlings or Dunlins. Of course I had zero scoters (I use scoter repellant).
No Short-eared or Long-eared Owls. I missed Snow Buntings (twice) plus the Lapland Longspur. Missed the White-fronted Geese, too. In 2 states.
I figured the best chance for something I needed for the year was a Herring Gull or a Northern Pintail. six days left in the year, so not much chance of that happening, either.
Couldn't stand it. wet, dreary and boring. So, I decided to go to Elkins and get gas for some excitement. I rode through Glendale park hoping that maybe the White-fronted Geese flew down here. Nope, just a clump of Mallards. I looked one more time as I was driving out of the park and there it was amongst the Mallard mass..A lone Northern Pintail !! Yep, that is why we go and why we look. Even when we figure there isn't much use.

eBird 2016 — Year in review

American Tree Sparrow

eBird 2016 — Year in review

23 December 2016

2017 will mark the 15 year anniversary of eBird. In just a decade-and-a-half, the bird checklists that you have shared have helped make eBird the largest citizen science biodiversity project in the world. More than 1/3 million eBirders have submitted 370 million bird sightings, representing 10,313 species from every country in the world. We are continually humbled by the amazing power and passion of the birding community, and have nothing but excitement as we look to the future of what we can do together. As we compile this list of eBird’s achievements in 2016, we are reminded that these are all truly your achievements. It is your contributions that power this knowledge engine. Every time you go out and keep a list of birds you see, you’re making a real contribution to our understanding of the world’s ever-changing avian biodiversity.

LOOK!

White-eyed Vireo

LOOK!

June usually isn't too bad; until it gets hot. The garden is planted and we now have some time to unwind. I always look forward to the garden growing and the lawn dying. don't get me wrong; I like mowing grass the first couple of times. After that, it is kind of like that kick in the gut you got when you finally finished the first grade. You mean I have to go back? Eleven more years?

I really enjoy trout fishing with a fly rod. Unfortunately, it seems as if the only time that one can enjoy a little alone time on a trout stream is after the fish trucks quit running. It really isn’t much fun fishing when someone riding down the road sees you catch a fish and decides to join you. There are plenty of fish and plenty of insect activity to keep anyone happy; until the streams dry up and get hot.

I wish everyone would take a few minutes out of each day just to see the little things around them. People really need to slow down and appreciate their surroundings; before it is too late. I have several friends who are accomplished outdoorsmen and are getting up in years. They look back at the things they have experienced and seen over the years. They realize that they will never be able to see the sights they have seen again. The best quote I have heard from them is I’m Glad I Went to the Dance.” I can tell you one thing for sure and that is I would never had the appreciation for the natural world that I have now; if I had not been a hard-core turkey hunter. Nobody would believe all of the things I had seen and experienced in the spring woods. I too am glad that I danced.

It just amazes me that people do not see things right in front of them. I was taking a photo of a beautiful adult Golden Eagle along Corridor H this past March. It was within 10 yards of the highway. I know 50 vehicles zoomed by while I was there. Not one slowed to look and I’d be willing to bet the not 5 people saw what I was looking at. Three of the 5 probably wondered why I was looking at a buzzard, yes, as a whole we are way out of touch.

I do not know how many times I have been asked over the past few years what something was. The response is always Oh; I have never seen one of those before. Yes, you have they are all over the area and very common. You just never bothered to actually look at one before. One very rewarding gift you can give yourself in this journey of lifetime learning is making the time each day to stop, look and listen. Do this for a few minutes every day and you will be amazed with the results. It doesn’t hurt one little bit.

Here is something to start with and give you a little nudge. Have you ever heard of a White-eyed Vireo or a Yellow-throated Vireo? Nope, I didn’t think so. They are very common and very vocal. I imagine one or the other lives and raises young within 100 yards of your front porch. Find one, it will not hurt at all. I promise.

(c)2016 High Virginia Outdoors Photo (c)High Virginia Images ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

This is my June 2016 article for Two-lane Livin

Spring Eagle Survey

38 eagles spotted in southern West Virginia during spring survey

PIPESTEM, W.Va. – Sixty-one people gathered and were scattered to 11 survey sites for the 9th annual Spring Eagle Survey, held March 5 in the Pipestem area of southern West Virginia. During the four hours of the survey, they spotted 38 bald and golden eagles soaring the skies.
"The volunteers all have a common interest – birds – and on this particular day, eagles," said Julie McQuade, naturalist at Pipestem State Park. McQuade and other volunteers assist former Pipestem naturalist Jim Phillips with this annual event.
The survey sites included Mouth of Indian Creek; Bertha; Pits; Bluestone State Park; Bluestone Turnpike Trail; Falls Mills, Virginia; Rt. 20 Overlook; Camp Brookside; Brooks; Barger Springs; and Rt. 122. The temperature ranged from 34-53 degrees with a 50-100 percent cloud cover and wind speed of 0-3 mph. There was no precipitation and the water was open.
Thirty-three bald eagles were recorded (11 adults, 8 first years, 9 second years, 1 third year and 4 fourth years). Golden eagles sighted were three adults and one immature. There were four unidentified eagles at nine of the 11 sites. Three nests were reported as having eggs or suspected of have an egg.
Annual eagle surveys are conducted in January and March with the announcements posted to www.pipestemresort.com, "Events." The 2017 surveys will occur Jan. 7 and March 4, 2017

2016 Rusty Blackbird Blitz

Rusty Blackbirds (c) HVI

Have you heard a squeaky-hinge song lately, or seen a flash of rust-tipped feathers under a bright yellow eye? Although occasionally overlooked as “just another blackbird,” Rusty Blackbirds face an unfortunate and remarkable notoriety: this species has endured a decline more severe than that of any other once-common landbird. In 2014, the International Rusty Blackbird Working Group, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, eBird, and many other state, federal, and local partners, launched a three-year Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz that challenged birders to scour the landscape for Rusty Blackbirds during this species’ northward migration.  Between 1 March and 15 June 2014, 4750 birders submitted 13,400 checklists containing Rusty Blackbird observations to eBird; during the same time period in 2015, 4885 birders submitted 13,919 checklists containing Rusty Blackbird observations.  These first two hugely successful seasons have allowed us to start looking at potential Rusty Blackbird migratory hotspots, habitat use, and potential migratory pathways.

We hope you’ll consider participating in Year 3 – the final year – of the Blitz this spring!  It’s easy- bird as you normally do during the Blitz window (1 March through 15 June) and submit your data to eBird using the “Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz” observation type.  To help you figure out when Rusties might be passing through your area, each region is assigned a set of target dates found here: http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/states-and-dates/  We’re collecting Blitz data from anywhere within our target states and provinces, but this
year, we’d also like birders to revisit Areas of Interest identified from 2014 and 2015 data to assess the consistency of Rusty Blackbird habitat use and migratory timing.  Check out our map of Areas of Interest for 2015 at http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/2015-areas-of-interest/

To learn more about Rusty Blackbirds and the Blitz effort, please visit our Migration Blitz website (http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/), or check out our Blitz Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/rustyblackbirdspringblitz). 

We hope you’ll join us to Blitz for Blackbirds this spring!

Great Backyard Bird Count 2016

Great Backyard Bird Count—take someone birding!

10 February 2016

February 12-15 (Friday through Monday) is the 19th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). To participate, just go birding during this timeframe and make sure to enter your checklists in eBird. The GBBC was one of the first demonstrations that the Internet could be used to collect bird checklists and was instrumental in the creation of eBird back in 2002. For 2016, we really want the GBBC weekend to focus on sharing your knowledge with others. Do you have a friend or family member who has always wanted to go birding with you? Someone you should teach to use eBird? Someone you think you could turn on to birds and share your sense of wonder with? Make the GBBC the weekend where you pick up the phone and invite him or her along.
If everyone who uses eBird was able to create one new eBirder this weekend, we could double the amount of data in eBird!
Below are some thoughts about this weekend, what it is becoming, and how to get involved.
Take someone birding
Here at eBird and at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, we fundamentally believe that birds can save the world. A love of birds connects humanity with the natural world in a way that is all too hard to find in modern society. Even for city-dwellers, parks and green spaces hold birds that remind us about the natural world and keep us connected to it. Migratory birds link the continents and their movements flow across borders in ways that highlight how interconnected the world is. Only by connecting with the natural world, understanding that our actions here may have implications half a world away, and caring about the outcomes, will humanity become better stewards of our planet.
Everyone who enters records in eBird and has become a part of the eBird Enterprise on any level had a moment or person who inspired them to take an interest in birds. The GBBC weekend provides that moment and you can be that person for someone new. If we each got one new person involved with birdwatching each year, the ranks of bird lovers and nature lovers in the world would grow exponentially.
Join the global team!
Team eBird thinks of the GBBC as the Great Global Bird Count. Now in its fourth year as a global effort, let’s see what a global team of birders can do. eBird is now a massive effort to document bird populations around the world over time, but GBBC represents a chance to take a global 4-day snapshot. Everyone who submits a checklist this weekend will be part of the global effort.

• How many birds can we find? There are 10,473 species in the world and eBird has recorded almost 98% of them (read more). The 2013 GBBC recorded 4258 species (40.7%), 2014 tallied 4296 (40.7%), and 2015 recorded 5090 (48.6%). Can eBirders and GBBC participants team up in 2016 to find more than 5237 species—50% of the world’s species—in one long weekend?
• How many checklists will be submitted?  Within eBird and the GBBC, the most important measure of success is the checklist. Each checklist represents a snapshot in time and space, and each is valuable. The 2015 effort collected 147,265 checklists in a single weekend–despite *really* cold weather–a new record. How many will we collect this year?
• How many countries will collect data? eBird has data from every country in the world, but many countries have only a few submissions. But we know birdwatchers are birding in every part of the world every day. The peak has been 135 countries in 2014. How many countries will contribute this year?
• New and thriving eBird communities have continued to emerge this year. Log in to the GBBC site and open the location explorer on GBBC weekend to type in the Portugal, Turkey, Brasil, India, Philippines, Malaysia, Kuwait, Portugal, Honduras, Guadeloupe, Argentina, Australia, or Sri Lanka.
• How will your area fare? eBird has powerful new ways to explore location-based information. Just go to Explore Data and click the new “Explore Location” feature. Check out the stats for your country, state, province, or county, and drill down deeper to explore an individual park, refuge, preserve, or other hotspot. Rally your friends to make the best showing you can in the area you live!

Get your friends involved!
To improve on last year’s results, we really need is to get more people involved. Do you have a birding friend in another country? Get in touch, and ask her or him to join the Great (Global) Backyard Bird Count, and see if they can add a unique country or find a unique species. Perhaps you’ve gone on a birding trip internationally. This is a great excuse to get in touch with your guide and encourage him or her to take part. This is a great way to introduce your friends to eBird and hopefully get them hooked!
Add photos
Our most exciting new feature is the ability to add photos and audio right in your checklist. If you get nice photos on the GBBC weekend, or anytime you contribute to eBird, be sure to share those on your eBird checklist. This is of course especially important to help document rare birds that you may find. See this article for how to upload your rich media.
Get eBird Mobile
If you have a smartphone and haven’t done it yet, download eBird Mobile and get going on in-the-field data entry this weekend. eBird Mobile makes it vastly easier to keep up with your submissions and help us document all birds everywhere all the time!
How to follow the GBBC stats this weekend
In order to see how well our global team is doing this weekend, we invite you to check out the GBBC home page. Although tailored for the GBBC, this page has most of the same functionality as eBird. You can submit data here or in your favorite eBird portal—it all goes to the same place. Your My eBird stats will be the same here as they would be anywhere in eBird. The key difference is the Explore Data page. The output here is tailored for the GBBC, so you can see the following:

• Location pages for GBBC 2016 – This is the most exciting new feature. Enter any location and see the species list, birding activity, recent visits and other information restricted to the count period. Be sure to use eBird to explore this for other periods as well!
• Hotspot pages for GBBC 2016 – Access hotspot pages from your county or state page (example for Michigan). Scroll down the right side to see the list of Top Hotspots and then click the “More hotspots…” link at the bottom. This list can be sorted by most activity or least activity, depending on if you want to find top spots or places where your observations are most needed. Click any hotspot name to see the Hotspot page and that site’s activity during the 2016 GBBC. Make sure your favorite spots have a good showing this coming weekend!
• Range Maps for GBBC 2016 – See where and how often each species is found around the world. Zoom in and click on the points to see individual records.
• Top 100 for GBBC 2016 – Check out the region-by-region contributions of individuals in terms of both number of checklists and number of species reported.
• Yard/Patch for GBBC 2016 – If you have registered a yard or patch, you can track your stats and compare to others for the GBBC weekend only. If you have a patch or yard in eBird already, it should carry over as soon as you enter data from there for the GBBC. Just click “yard totals” or “patch totals” here.

Any one of these outputs can be posted as a link. Drum up support in your local birding community by posting these statistics on your blog, Facebook page, listserv, or your favorite social media of choice. If you want to compare results, we encourage you to use ebird.org to explore February 2016 patterns and compare them to February 2015 patterns.
And make sure to check in with the eBird Live Submissions Map this weekend. This is awesome enough now, but we know it will really get hot this weekend. The hottest times to watch this map are likely to be 4-9pm (Eastern Standard Time or GMT -5) on Sunday and Monday; our best hour is usually 5pm (EST) on Sunday night when a 3000+ checklists are usually submitted. Please enjoy this year’s GBBC and thanks for your role on the global eBird team!

Sandhill Cranes by by Georgia Wilson, Florida, the 2014 photo contest winner. Watch for the first migrating Sandhill Cranes to move north in the Great Plains of the United States during the GBBC.

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A BIG Year; So Far

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

I've had a pretty good bird year in 2015 and it is only July. Thanks to Facebook and WV Bird; it is easy to be notified of rarities. I am not going to drive 200 miles to look at gulls through a spotting scope; but there were some nice opportunities nearby. The first of the year was the Snowy Owl near Grafton and I was lucky enough to find it on my first attempt.

The most exotic place I have had to go to this year was Red House, MD for a lifer Upland Sandpiper (actually I drive past that location within a half-mile 2 or 3 times a week), but this was the farthest spot from my house.

In June we got a double whammy. Common Gallinule and a Red-necked Phalarope at the same spot and same time at Stonewall Jackson Lake The gallinule lingered for a while; the phalarope only for a day or so. Last Sunday (6/28) may have brought the most un-expected species to the area and it was only 7 miles away. I never thought one time about seeing a Black-bellied Whistling Duck in Randolph County, WV. But, there they were and once again I want to thank others for timely reporting on social media.

Always remember; the one and only key to seeing good stuff is: You Have To Be There When It Is...

(c) 2015 High Virginia Outdoors Photos (c)2015 High Virginia Images ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Not So Common

Common Gallinule

You never know what may show up. A Common Gallinule was spotted in Monongalia County earlier this month. One has been spotted in Lewis County, this week. It has been in the same location for 4 days, now. The last I heard was it was still present yesterday (5/30/15) at 11:00 am. This species is very rare in our region. It isn't something that would get much of a notice or even a mention in the wetlands of the southern US, but it is a Good bird here. Yep a very good bird.

there have been very few sightings of this bird over the years. The nearest are in Preston County at Terra Alta Lake

back in 1936 and Lewis County at Jacksons Mills back in 1934. So it's been
79 years since this species has been seen in north central West Virginia.
Most state records are in the Ohio River Valley and east of the Allegheny
Mountains, but it has been reported at only 11 locations in the state since
2000. The most recent sightings were May 3, 2015 in Kanawha County, Apr.
16, 2015 in Mineral County, May 5, 2012 in Mason County, and April 18, 2011
in Cabell County.

Therefore if you aren't doing anything; you might want to take a ride to the Georgetown Road/Old Georgetown Road intersection and see if it is still there. May be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Don't miss it.

(c) 2015 High Virginia Outdoors  Photo (c) High Virginia Images ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

OUR NEWEST RESIDENT

Common Merganser

Things sometimes do change. Usually in a negative way but I see no downside in this. The Common Merganser has become a permanent resident of the Mountain State. Sadly, declines in habitat quality leave us wondering what happened. where did all of the critters go? This single species has apparently taken a liking to West Virginia.
The process was gradual, but we now have nesting pairs on several streams and rivers in the mountain region. These large birds now call the Cheat, Greenbrier, Shavers Fork and Dry Fork and many other waterways home. Less than a decade is all that it took for these birds to set up residency Previously, they only nested in the Northern US and most of Canada. Thinking of that, you can readily see why they have chosen to live here. Same weather and less travel time. This species is a tree cavity nester, therefore once they are established in an area; I imagine the only thing that would push them out would be the lack of large trees with cavities to nest in.They may be in trouble in this part of the county; since they do not like to leave any timber standing. But, I'm sure that they will be able to take hold and prosper in other areas of the state.
(c) 2015 High Virginia Outdoors
Photos (c) High Virginia Images All Rights Reserved

COME Shavers Fork

Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz

Welcome to International Opening Day of the Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz!  The Blitz challenges birders to seek Rusty Blackbirds throughout this species’ entire migratory range, from the southeastern U.S. through the Northeast, Midwest, Canada, and Alaska. It’s easy to participate- bird as you normally do and search especially carefully for Rusty Blackbirds- then report your results to eBird under the “Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz” survey type, even if you don’t find a Rusty.  Or, visit one of our Rusty Blackbird Areas of Interest (visit our interactive map at http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/2015-areas-of-interest/) to help us assess consistency of migratory timing and habitat use during spring migration.

Many Rusty Blackbirds spend the winter in West Virginia, so our job is largely to document when Rusties get ready for migration and subsequently leave our region to head north to their breeding grounds.  To give you a sense of when peak migratory activity is likely to occur in our area, we’ve posted a list of suggested target dates for each region: http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/states-and-dates/ .  However, migratory timing can vary annually based on weather and climate, and some Southern states were reporting Rusty sightings into April last year, so any Rusty reports during the Blitz period of 1 March through 15 June will help our effort. 

For more information on Blitz objectives, along with Rusty Blackbird identification tips, data collection instructions, and data reporting information, you can find additional resources at http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/.  

We hope you’ll “get Rusty” with us to help conserve this elusive and vulnerable songbird! Also, follow us on Facebook to hear about Rusty sightings, see Rusty pictures, and get the latest Blitz news: https://www.facebook.com/rustyblackbirdspringblitz

Oddities

The "Oregon"Dark-eyed Junco has returned to my yard today (2/16/15)!! I saw it on February 10, 2015 and got a few photos through the window. I actually had to stand in a wooden chair to get the window shots from above the screen & steam. Of course the chair broke while I was standing and contorting. I have looked for this bird everyday since then but could not find it.
Today it showed up at about 1 pm in what sandy left of my Spicebush. It flew down on the ground in front of the window and I went after the camera. The pigeons then flew in and scared everything off. I can still see the junco up on the hill about 40 yards away, but it is snowing too hard for any photographic attempts. I spent a lot of time looking for this bird over the past week when the sun was out. for now, I guess I'll have to be happy with my window shots.

(c) High Virginia Outdoors  Photos (c) High Virginia Images ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Great Backyard Bird Count Begins Today

Show Birds Some Love on Valentine’s Weekend:

Join the Great Backyard Bird Count!

For release: January 21, 2015

New York, NY, Ithaca, NY, and Port Rowan, ON —Give Mother Nature a valentine this year and show how much you care about birds by counting them for the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). The 18^th annual count is taking place February 13 through 16.Anyone in the world can count birds at any location for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count and enter their sightings at www.BirdCount.org. The information gathered by tens of thousands of volunteers helps track changes in bird populations on a massive scale. The GBBC is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society with partner Bird Studies Canada.

Snowy Owl by Jane Ogilvie, VT

Bird watchers fell in love with the magnificent Snowy Owl during the last count when the birds were reported in unprecedented numbers across southeastern Canada, the Great Lakes states, the Northeast, and down the Atlantic Coast. Expect Snowy Owls to show up in higher numbers during this year’s GBBC, too.
“It’s called an ‘echo flight,'” explains Marshall Iliff, eBird Project Leader at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “After a huge irruption like we had last winter, the following year often yields higher-than-usual numbers as well. The abundance of lemmings that produced last year’s Snowy Owl irruption likely continued or emerged in new areas of eastern Canada, more owls may have stayed east after last year’s irruption, and some of last year’s birds that came south are returning.”
“This may also be a big year for finches,” notes Audubon Chief Scientist Gary Langham. “GBBC participants in North America should be on the lookout for larger numbers of Pine Siskins and redpolls. These birds also push farther south when pine cone seed crops fail in the far north of Canada.”

Common Redpoll by Helena Garcia, Quebec

Bird watchers from 135 countries participated in the 2014 count, documenting nearly 4,300 species on more than 144,000 bird checklists–that’s about 43% of all the bird species in the world! In addition to the U.S. and Canada, India, Australia, and Mexico led the way with the greatest number of checklists submitted.
“We especially want to encourage people to share their love of birds and bird watching with someone new this year,” says Dick Cannings at Bird Studies Canada. “Take your sweetheart, a child, a neighbor, or a coworker with you while you count birds for the GBBC. Share your passion and you may fledge a brand new bird watcher!”
The Great Backyard Bird Count is a great way for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect with nature and show some love for the birds this Valentine”s Day. Participation is free and easy. To learn more about how to join the count, download instructions, a slide show, web buttons, and other materials, visit www.birdcount.org. While you’re there, get inspired by the winning photos from the 2014 GBBC photo contest.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is made possible in part by sponsor Wild Birds Unlimited.

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Images available in the newsroom.

I Hate That Place

Common Goldeneye

I just wonder if anyone else has a good place to find an occasional odd bird; that they hate going to? It is the Elkins Flood Control area for me. First off, there is too much traffic and the roads are pretty thin except for the main Georgetown Road. Quite often, there are some shady characters hanging around. What I hate most is that I have Never gotten a good photo there.
Good ducks are often found in the calm area just above the bridge, There is a deceptive quick, slick current. Everything is always in motion. It doesn't look that way, but it is. You cannot take a photo from your vehicle because of power lines in your face. When you get out and try to take a  standing photo, you have to shoot between 3 power lines. Sit down and shoot; you say. I tried that yesterday. By the time you get somewhere cleared of broken beer bottles and used needles; you have to relocate your subject.I took 111 shots of this Common Goldeneye yesterday (2/11/15) and none are decent. This is par for the course at this spot, though. Did I mention that I Hate That Place?

(c)2015 High Virginia Outdoors  Photo (c) High Virginia Images ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz

Have you heard a squeaky-hinge song lately, or seen a flash of rust-tipped feathers under a bright yellow eye? Although occasionally overlooked as “just another blackbird,” Rusty Blackbirds face an unfortunate and remarkable notoriety: this species has endured a decline more severe than that of any other once-common landbird. In 2014, the International Rusty Blackbird Working Group, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, eBird, and many other state, federal, and local partners, launched a three-year Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz that challenged birders to scour the landscape for Rusty Blackbirds during this species’ northward migration.  Between 1 March and 15 June, 4750 birders submitted 13,400 checklists containing Rusty Blackbird observations to eBird, a hugely successful first season that has allowed us to start looking at potential Rusty Blackbird migratory hotspots, habitat use, and potential migratory pathways.

We hope you’ll consider participating in Year 2 of the Blitz this spring!  It’s easy- bird as you normally do during the Blitz window (1 March through 15 June) and submit your data to eBird using the “Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz” observation type.  To help you figure out when Rusties might be passing through your area, each region is assigned a set of target dates found here: http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/states-and-dates/  We’re collecting Blitz data from anywhere within our target states and provinces, but this year, we’d also like birders to revisit Areas of Interest identified from 2014 data to
assess the consistency of Rusty Blackbird habitat use and migratory timing.  Check out our map of Areas of Interest for 2015 at http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/2015-areas-of-interest/

To learn more about Rusty Blackbirds and the Blitz effort, please visit our Migration Blitz website (http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/), or check out our Blitz Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/rustyblackbirdspringblitz). 

We hope you’ll join us to Blitz for Blackbirds this spring!

Taylor Snow

Snowy Owl

The reports started filtering in yesterday (1/22/15) morning; a Snowy Owl was spotted on US 50 West of Grafton. The first thing I looked at was if it was from a credible source; it was! I had never seen a Snowy Owl and headed out as soon as I was able. The first half of the trip was excruciating; following a dump truck full of gravel which was following a DOH truck flinging salt; in the freezing rain. Can you say slow?

I finally got clear sailing in the middle of  Philippi and cringed at the thought of the pre-bypass days. The rest of the trip was uneventful and I was west of Grafton looking at road signs; hunting the right intersection. As soon as I got to the Berry Run/Meadland intersection there was a pair of crows harassing a Red-tailed Hawk. I started searching, back and forth on the two mentioned roads. Bluebirds and a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks was all I could find.

I headed west on 50, hoping for better results and there it was; near the first house. Two white objects and only one was a Wal-Mart bag!! Treacherous is the only way to describe this location; as far as getting off the road or even slowing down. I took several photos from a fence post at the edge of the house'driveway; as traffic flew by. I noticed a lady in the back yard and decided to make contact with her. I was just hoping to not get run-off or dog bit. I soon realized that the dog or the lady wasn't going to be the problem. The watch goose was the real threat. I asked the lady if she new what was in her yard; she said öh that thing is back again". The Snowy Owl has been there for about a week; according to her. I was able to get some really good photos from her fence-line. It was more than I had hoped for or expected. I hope geese don't carry rabies.

Snowy Owl (c) 2015

The owl caught something while I was there. I thought it was a chicken house rat at first. But, after staring at the photos I think it is either a young muskrat or a small mink. There was a weedy ditch running through the location; so it could be either. Anyway. it was a pretty good day for January.

(c) 2015 High Virginia Outdoors Photos (c) High Virginia Images ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

SERCHING

Rough-legged Hawk

I think I will go hunting in Canaan Valley tomorrow. I am going to go in search of a Rough-legged Hawk. I definitely need to upgrade my hawk photos. This one from 2012 is the best RLHA that I have. We only have a short window of opportunity to find these visitors from the tundra of the north. A few hardy individuals come here to winter on our West Virginia Tundra.

Waiting For Ducks

The winter of 2013/2014 was a really great waterfowl season in this area. The winter of 2014/2015 has been pretty dismal. There sure isn't much out there to look at. Things can change quickly; you never know. But, right now the waterways are pretty much devoid of duck life. There isn't much to see other than the resident Canada Geese, Mallards, Cracker Ducks and the occasional Bufflehead. There just isn't much to get excited about.

There isn't much in my yard, either. The juncos show up when they see a snowflake. But, they seemingly stay over in the clear-cut most of the time. My Pine Siskins have moved on and I have a couple of Fox Sparrows. That is just about it after you take the goldfinches out of the equation. Yep, we need something new to look at. Bring on the Ducks.

(c)2014 High Virginia Outdoors All Rights Reserved

It Is Back

Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk

The leucistic Red-tailed Hawk has returned to the Childers Run Road area of Route 33 east of Buckhannon. Barb Sargent reported it last week. i didn't have anywhere to take the dogs to today; so I rode over there. I was hoping to get better photos than last year and accomplished the task. this shot isn't my best one of the day. But, it is the most interesting. It is having Fox Squirrel for lunch. You can also plainly see that it does not have a pink eye.

Pet Peeve

OK, sometimes I just see stuff and can't imagine why it was done. Here is one that probably irritates me more than anything else. Why do people insist on throwing organic matter over the hill in plastic bags? Hint: Haul it, dump it out and take the dammed bag back home and use it for something else. I don't care what it is; corn stalks, leaves, deer bones..It doesn't make any difference: Take Your Bag With You !!!

The first photo is corn stalks dumped at one of my favorite bird spots. The second one is a bag full of corn stalks dumped at the same spot, about 15 feet away. which do you prefer? Leaves are another thing that will soon be dumped. That will then be followed by deer remains. I have no problem with either if you take your plastic back home. Everything else will soon decompose or be consumed; not PLASTIC BAGS !!