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THE GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT – BIRDING WITH A PURPOSE

Feb5

          There are 365 days in the year, however during four special days in February you and your family can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count.  During these four days you will be able to join literally hundreds of thousands of bird enthusiasts living in more than 200 countries scattered across the globe in a survey designed to assist ornithologists better understand the world’s bird populations.

          The 2026 Great Backyard Bird Count will take place February 13-16.

          The survey is sponsored by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, National Audubon Society, and Birds Canada.

          This has got to be the simplest bird survey you have ever seen.  All you have to do is select an area (e.g. backyard, park, you name it) and count all of the birds you can identify in just 15 minutes.  You can survey as many areas are you like during the four-day count period. In fact, you can survey the same areas each day. 

          Then after you complete a survey count you submit the data online.  The survey form is very simple and takes only a few moments to complete.  One of the neatest things about the count once you submit a survey you can visit a map of the world displaying where the counts are being held.

          You do not have to be an expert birder  to take part in the survey.  This is because you count only those birds you can identity.  Consequently, this is a survey practically everyone can enjoy.

          For more information regarding this super event, simply go to your computer’s search engine and type in Great Backyard Bird Count.  The  website  will provide you with all of the information you need to enjoy some tine birding knowing that the bird list(s) you submit will help bird conservation.

 

WHAT ARE THE 10 BIRDS THAT MOST OFTEN VISIT GEORGIA BIRD FEEDERS?

Jan8

        According to a conservation group named Avian Report the bird most often seen at Georgia bird feeders is the northern cardinal (95.6%).  Rounding out the top 10 list are the tufted titmouse (94.67%), Carolina chickadee (93.78%), Carolina wren (90.22%), house finch (89.76%), mourning dove (85.78%), American goldfinch (85.78%), downy woodpecker (85.33%), red-bellied woodpecker (82.22%), and eastern bluebird (80.89%).

       How does this list stack up with the birds that visit your feeders?

WHERE TO PLACE A NEW FEEDER

Dec31

        If you received a new feeder for Christmas, here is what some experts say is the perfect spot.  They recommend you follow the 5-7-9 rule.

       This means the bottom of the feeder should be at least five feet above the ground, seven feet away from a fence, shrub, tree or other object, and in a location, that is at least nine from below an overhanging limb.

       Some experts say that this will help keep squirrels from raiding bird feeders.  While this might help, I suspect placing a feeder in such a location will not make the feeder 100% squirrel-proof. 

       If you erect your new feeder in such a location, let me know how it works.

CAMELLIAS HELP WINTERING HUMMINGBIRDS SURVIVE DURING GEORGIA WINTERS

Dec4

       It is easy to believe that winter hummingbirds are totally dependent on our feeders to survive.  Although feeders hanging in backyards have helped hummingbirds winter throughout the Southeast, wintering hummers such as the rufous have other sources of food.

       One of these foods is the sap that wells up in active sapsucker holes.  Although yellow-bellied sapsuckers excavate these shall reservoirs to provide food for themselves, a variety of critters such as other birds, squirrels, butterflies and even hummingbirds dine on the sugary sap found their excavations. Since the shrub also produces pollen, they attract the some of the few pollinators that also dine on pollen during the winter.

       Another underappreciated source of food is the nectar is produced by winter blooming camellias. One of the best is (Camellia sasanqua).  This flowering shrub blooms from fall throughout the winter.

       These glossy-leaved thick shrubs also provide the tiny birds with much-needed roost sites.
If you know of any other varieties of camellias that attract winter hummingbirds to your yard, please let me know.

AMERICANS BUY LOTS OF BIRD SEED

Nov30

        I normally do not like to be a member of large crowds.  Such is not the case with those of us that feed wild birds. Recent survey reveal that more there are more than 50 million of us in the United States.  Our extremely large group annually spends more than $4 billion to purchase 1 billion pounds of birdseed!

         

 

GEORGIA’S WINTER HUMMINGBIRD SEASON

Nov24

        For most hummingbird enthusiasts, the opportunity to host hummingbirds in their backyards extends from March through October.  When the last hummingbird leaves on its fall migration one cannot hope but wish we could enjoy watching hummingbirds throughout the year.  It is a little-known fact that some Georgians actually do host hummingbirds throughout the year. In order to do this, they are successful in attracting the tiny migrants during Georgia’s Second “Winter” Hummingbird Season.  This season extends from November through February.

       During this season, you can see more species of hummingbirds than at any other time of the year. The species you are most likely to see is the rufous.  It is estimated that anywhere from 50-100 rufous hummingbirds annually winter in Georgia. Most of the others have been seen in Georgia only a handful of times.

       If you want to have the rare opportunity of hosting one of these special birds this winter, maintain a feeder throughout the winter.  There is no need to keep a feeder full of nectar; however, it is important that you change it regularly.

RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD by Terry W Johnson

       Admittedly, the chances of seeing a rufous are slim; the odds are much greater than winning the Georgia Lottery.  In addition, if you are successful in having a rufous winter in your yard, there is a chance it will return the next winter.

       If a hummingbird shows up in your yard this winter, please let me know.

AFTER FREEZE NECTAR SOURCES

Nov16

       This week much of Georgia suffered through the first freezing temperatures of the season.  At our home in Monroe County, the temperature fell to 27º.   Realizing that spelled trouble for many pollinators my wife and I brought in two plants (scarlet sage and pineapple sage) that have been hosting cloudless sulphurs for the past few weeks.

       When the weather returned to normal, we put them back on our deck. In a matter of minutes, they were once again being visited by cloudless sulphurs, syrphid, and hover flies. While our efforts did not benefit many pollinators, they did provide a few with much-needed food. In addition, we extended the time we can enjoy watching pollinators at work in our yard.
Based on our success I decided to visit our local nursery (Mossy Creek) to see if any of their plants had survived the cold and were hosting pollinators. 

       I no sooner got out the door of my vehicle when one of the nursery’s staff called me over to look at a stunningly beautiful butterfly. The butterfly turned out to be a zebra longwing; it was the first I have seen this year.  The whole time that I was there, the butterfly fed at lavender pincushion blossoms.

       While I watched, an American lady joined it.  Nearby, an Ocola and fiery skippers, and a couple of American ladies visited marigolds.  All of these plants had survived the severely cold weather.

       Later, our daughter told us that a hover fly was feeding on a late four-o’clock bloom beside her house.  She also saw several pollinators visiting coneflowers at a nursery in Columbia County.

       Admittedly, the weather was not kind to our gardens this year consequently; we did not have many sources of nectar available deep into the fall.  However, we pledge to do better next year.

       If you want to help late pollinators in your yard, the first thing you need to do is find out which pollinator plants can survive cold weather in your neighborhood.  One great place to learn find this information is your local nursery.  There is no better time do so than after our recent freeze.  Armed with this knowledge you will be better able to address the food needs of the pollinators living close by.

       When I returned home, I was carrying four pots containing cold-hardy plants that we are going to add to our yard. 

      

NORTHERN FLICKER ROOSTING SITES

Oct22

        It is very difficult to attract northern flickers to Georgia backyards; however, it can be done. One of the best ways is provide roost sites for these large birds. For example, leave dead trees in which large holes have been excavated or enlarged by squirrels and cavity nesting birds.

       Flickers also roost in barred owl nest boxes. If you see a flicker enter an owl-nesting box, do not be discouraged if it does not return the next evening.  It seems that male northern flickers tend to roost in different location each night.  These roosting sites are usually located within a half-mile square area.  If roosting cavities are scarce in your neighborhood, the bird may return sooner than later.

       Friends of mine find flickers roosting in wood duck boxes during the winter.  They have noted that flickers tend to enter the boxes earlier in the afternoon than do the other birds that also roost in boxes.  The flickers that show up at their wood duck boxes often arrive well before the sun drops below the horizon.

       Northern flickers will also roost in variety of odd locations such as under bridges. They will also use our homes as roosting sites.  For example, they will sometimes roost on the sides and eaves of buildings, and even inside chimneys.

       If you have seen northern flickers in your, I would love to hear about it.

 

BACKYARD SECRET – WHAT IS THE BEST TIME TO SEE MONARCHS IN GEORGIA DURING THEIR FALL MIGRATION?

Oct15

  

     

 

        The best time to catch a glimpse of fall migrating monarch butterflies is during the months of September and October.    Records, however, suggest the greatest number of these butterflies pass through the state in mid-October.       

       With that in mind, if you want to see these large orange and black butterflies, spend some time outside during the next few days.

       Good luck!

 

WHERE ARE THE FEEDER BIRDS?

Oct12

       Every year when early October rolls around, people tell me that the number and variety of birds visiting their feeders and birdbaths has dropped off significantly.  That always leads to question, “Where are they?”  Depending on where you live, and whether not the habitat near your home has changed, and other factors, the reasons for a decline can vary from yard to yard.  That being the case, I attribute the drop-in activity around most bird feeders to three things. 

       Many of the common migratory birds that inhabit our will shortly reach their winter homes.  That alone can make a big dent in your backyard bird population.  While many of these birds do not often visit seed feeders, they do frequently bathe and drink at birdbaths.

       In late summer and early fall, the abundance of seeds produced by native plants is greater than it is at any other time of the year.  As such they birds have an abundance of places where they can feed this provides them with lots of spots where they can dine elsewhere.

       Another reason your backyard bird population is low is that for folks in most parts of Georgia, southbound migrants have not yet reached the Peach State. This is the case for white-throated sparrows, dark-eyed juncos, blackbirds, and others.

       Another thing to consider is some of our permanent residents, such as the chipping sparrows have yet to form winter flocks. Consequently, if your yard is not in a chipping sparrow breeding territory, chances are you will have to wait awhile to see them in your yard.

       The bottom line is be patient, if your feeding area is safe, feeders are stocked with variety of foods, and clean water is close by, I promise they will come; just be patient.