Saturday, February 02, 2008

January Foot-Powered Bird List

First, let me apologise for the sub-standard blogging this week. I've been knocked flat by a flu-like thing, and I'm only just now, through the grace of antibiotics, rising up out of that fog.

Below is my January foot-powered bird list. The average number of species I usually see in January is 26. This year I saw 26. But it wasn't the usual 26 species that I saw. Now, I have to figure out why I didn't find the Pilieated woodpecker, the Hairy woodpecker and even the black vulture. And what about Song sparrow? One of these years I'll see everything I know is here, plus one or two extra birds. Theoretically, I should be able to hit 30 species in January, but I've never done it yet.

01/30/08
26. Red-breasted Nuthatch - finally
01/19/08
25. Common Redpoll - only the second sighting in 15 years
24. Red-bellied Woodpecker
01/13/08
23. Turkey Vulture
22. Mourning Dove
01/11/08
21. Great-horned Owl - heard only
20. Carolina Wren
01/05/08
19. Pine Siskin - second sighting in 10 years
01/01/08
18. Canada Goose
17. Mallard
16. Downy Woodpecker
15. Northern Flicker
14. Blue Jay
13. American Crow
12. Carolina Chickadee
11. Black-capped Chickadee
10. Tufted Titmouse
9. White-breasted Nuthatch
8. Eastern Bluebird
7. American Robin - a very good bird for January 1!
6. European Starling
5. White-throated Sparrow
4. Dark-eyed Junco
3. Northern Cardinal
2. House Finch
1. American Goldfinch

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

No. 7 caught my eye. Lucky you to have robins in January! Here, they are one of our first signs of Spring which won't be until late April.

Carolyn H said...

April: I've never had robins on January 1 before. I occasionally will see a few during winter--usually on a warm day in February. So to see them right away was a treat. Haven't seen them at the cabin since, though I did see a few another time just a mile or so away since then.

Carolyn H.

Anonymous said...

You saw a Robin already! Bet it was scout for the rest of them. Turkey Vulture? now they have been missing in my area.

Did you get any ice yesterday? I got a nice coating plus a little snow. Good thing I didn't have to work.

Anonymous said...

A very nice list indeed! Hope you are feeling better. I just went through the same thing myself. Down and out with a flu that knocked me on my butt for almost a week. Seems to be going around, on both coasts. Take care.

Chris said...

Neat list, glad you're getting better!

ChicagoLady said...

Not a bad list at all. As I was digging my car out yesterday, I heard a cardinal singing. Not the chipping I normally hear in winter, but actual singing. All I could think was, isn't it too early for him to be singing? Is he confused?

I've never seen a robin in January, but I saw them in November, when they are normally long gone from here.

Carolyn H said...

Cathy and Chris: A large group of robins is wintering nearby--some seem to pass through Roundtop occasionally.

Kat: it was a bit like flu but I didn't have a temperature (and I had my flu shot) but it was nasty!

CHicagolady: Cardinals are singing here too. I notice it most on sunny days. Maybe when it's sunny they feel as though it's (almost) spring!

Carolyn H.