Bumblebee Blog

Bzzzz January 24th, 2008

That was the headline today in the Project FeederWatch e-newsletter. I feel like I am on the edge of this breaking news story!

It was just in December that I saw a gross of Evening Grosbeaks at my hopper/platform feeder.

Evening Grosbeaks at the Backyard Hopper/Platform Feeder

Project FeederWatch, which I posted about just a couple of days ago, noted that since the project began the data indicated that the Evening Grosbeak population had declined dramatically. But this year, more and more people are reporting seeing flocks of this beautiful and special bird.

I think that this finding underlines a couple of key points. First, conservation works. I will give credit to the vast movement of bird watchers who fill their feeders regularly and provide alternative housing for our avian friends. This makes a difference in their ability to find the resources they need to thrive. And second, the data points of average, ordinary people all over the U.S. helps researchers understand how our bird populations are changing. This data is another key indicator or the environmental condition and how it impacts wildlife.

Okay. Nuff of that. I also just think it’s cool that I actually SAW a bunch of Evening Grosbeaks and then read this story.

Project FeederWatch offers loads of fascinating information. For example, the top 25 birds reported at feeders in Maryland in the 2006-2007 season was:

Rank within region	Common Name	Scientific name	Mean group size (when seen)	FeederWatch Abundance Index
1	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	5.32	3.72
2	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	3.61	2.96
3	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	4.64	3.20
4	Carolina/Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile carolinensis/atricapillus	2.15	1.64
5	Tufted Titmouse	Baeolophus bicolor	2.13	1.42
6	Carolina Wren	Thryothorus ludovicianus	1.28	0.68
7	American Goldfinch	Carduelis tristis	3.41	1.60
8	Downy Woodpecker	Picoides pubescens	1.61	1.08
9	House Finch	Carpodacus mexicanus	3.74	2.06
10	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	2.31	1.01
11	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus	1.17	0.61
12	White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	1.40	0.71
13	White-throated Sparrow	Zonotrichia albicollis	3.93	1.81
14	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	6.87	2.67
15	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	2.82	0.34
16	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	4.33	0.69
17	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	1.53	0.42
18	Common Grackle	Quiscalus quiscula	5.71	0.43
19	Northern Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos	1.13	0.20
20	Brown-headed Cowbird	Molothrus ater	4.03	0.29
21	Red-winged Blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus	4.67	0.32
22	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	2.96	0.35
23	Hairy Woodpecker	Picoides villosus	1.18	0.20
24	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	1.21	0.08
25	Cooper’s Hawk	Accipiter cooperii	1.02	0.06

You can find the top birds at your feeders and learn more about how they measure by visiting their data page here.

Happy bird watching!

Posted In: Nature and Wildlife

Tags: evening grosbeaks

8 Comments

Bzzzz January 22nd, 2008

I have no idea why I want to raise chickens so badly.

Ever since I saw chickens the first time at the county fair, I have longed for chickens. They’re beautiful!

Yes, I could conceivably be rewarded with fresh, organic eggs from my very own free-range chickens. And yes, I think they will be fascinating—even amusing—to watch. But the desire goes beyond my culinary and entertainment needs. It’s something deeper, more visceral, than that.

Hey, I think I’m a farm girl! I’m gonna git me some overalls and a straw hat!

People keep looking at me as if I’ve grown antlers when I tell them I’m planning a chicken coop. They are absolutely incredulous when I tell them we’re hiring an architect to design said coop. I can hardly wait to see the architect’s reaction when we tell him we want him to design A CHICKEN COOP!

To be fair, it’s not JUST a chicken coop. It’s a combination garden shed and chicken coop. I want clerestory windows. And a cupola. And window boxes. I want it to merge seamlessly with my Colonial theme garden. And I want it to be beautiful!

I want what Martha has—a Palais de Poulet!

My husband is, amazingly, on board with this little fantasy. He has even found the builder and put his detail-oriented mind to work combing through all the chicken books I’ve collected to put together an initial design for the architect’s input. I have contributed bunches of sketches and photographs of my dream garden shed/chicken coop.

Harry’s Chicken Palace Plan

The idea is that one side will be the chicken palace while the other side will be my garden shed. They will be connected with a door so that I can store the chicken supplies on the garden side and access them easily.

I can finally move my riding mower into more appropriate quarters, hang my tools on cleverly designed pegs, have a garden potting bench and even some bins for bulk supplies. I am all a-tingle just thinking about it.

Now I’m thinking about chicken names. Of course, I have to wait and see what kind of personalities they have. It would be cruel to mis-name a chicken, right?

How about politician names? Dick Cheney and George Bush? Nah. Not enough women’s names—yet.

So how about Hollywood names? Lucy and Ethel? Marilyn Monroe? Betty Davis? Paris Hilton? Would you name a chicken Paris Hilton?

Help me out here!

Posted In: Chickens