There were 36,784 participants--last year there were 22,000. Almost 1,000,000 birds were counted this year as opposed to 850,000 last year. The "Top Ten" are listed below with last year's place in the Top Ten last in parenthesis: 1. Huismus (1) 2. Merel (3) 3. Koolmees (2) 4. Vink (5) 5. Pimpelmees (4) 6. Spreeuw (7) 7. Kauw (6) 8. Turkse Tortel ( 8 ) 9. Houtduif (9) 10. Roodborst (12) The merel was the most widely seen bird and the great and blue titmice seem to have fallen in numbers since last year. The kingfisher numbers were low last year due to the hard frosts--353 were counted; and this year withy our 'severe' winter the numbers were even lower--only 85 were counted. Well, it was a good count and the experts will have lots of info to analyse further and form some ideas and plans for the future. If you folks have the opportunity to count, please do so--you'll enjoy it I am sure.
What does the smilie next to the Turkse Tortel signify, Sjoerd? Is that the blue titmouse? I'm glad it was such a good success.
What a great turnout for the bird count. I am going to try to join the one in the States next month. I can already tell you what kind and how many my yard gets on a regular basis but they travel around the neighborhood checking out other birdfeeders so I really can't pick a time to count, just have to do it when they get here.
DAISY-- The smiley came up because of the combination of the parentheses and the cifer '8' I suppose. I have corrected it. The Turkse Tortel is a dove that looks a bit like a mourning dove. It is the pimpelmees that is the blue titmouse. That sounds great, TONI. I suppose that the orgainzation that you plan to join will have the rules stated how that want you to count, I know the orgainzation here was specific with their how to's and so forth. I think that they were trying to establish a sort of uniformity so that the count would be 'scientific' enough, if you know what I am saying. Anyway, I hope that you will post something when your organization is doing their count. I really do find these interesting.
Sjoerd...the birdcount that we will be doing in the US is Feb 15-18. This is the link to the website with the 2009 results. http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/press/ne ... ws-release
The National Wildlife Federation did a Christmas Bird Count from Dec 14 - Jan 5, but I missed that one. I have the bird checklist printed out for my area for the Great Backyard Bird Count for next month. I think they have greatly over estimated the different types of birds in my zip code or they gave me the list for the whole state. For example we are almost 300 miles from the Gulf Coast, so there is not much of a chance of seeing a Sandpiper in my neighborhood. I'll see what my count come out to next month.
Such a fun thing for everyone to do...around here they have so many that do it. I have never done it but I am glad I didn't sign up for this year. We have a hawk that is staying close and my birds are way down in numbers so it wouldn't really be true to what I normally have. Plus I would feel uncomfortable using binoculars with the houses so close in our area and they might think I am snooping. My pergola is in the back corner of our lot so I do miss some when I am not taking pictures.... :-D
Thanks for that link, GAIL--I did have a look there and studied last year's top ten list. So TONI--you're all set for the upcoming count then. I had a chuckle at your comment about the shore birds being on the list where you live. I guess it's one list for the whole state then? Good luck on your count next month.
They asked specifically for my zip code and the resulting list states the birds are ones in my area.....I don't think so Some people don't realize just how large this state is so I guess they thought there was a chance one of them would be blown in by a breeze
Sjoerd, thanks for the clarification. I'm going to start calling my doves Turkse Tortel from now on. I just wrote it down. I don't beleive we have pimpelmees here. I laughed thinking about a sandpiper in your backyard too Toni. That guy would be way lost! Gail -- that is a neat site. I'm sending to a friend who will do the bird count in her area.
Thanks to a dear friend we're going to count birds this coming week-end. I like the thought of counting every year, since I feel some birds have declined greatly in numbers. I do wish a rare bird would show up, just to make a mess of the count.
DAISY--I don't think that the pimpelmees is over there either, but I wouldn't be surprised if the black-cappes chickadee and the tufted titmouse were not in the same Family. Great news, DROOPY. Let us know how it goes. I, for one, would be quite interested in the sorts of birds that you have up there and their numbers.
