Bird count weekend

This weekend I participated for the first time ever in the annual Audubon Backyard Bird Count. It is easy enough to participate. You just register on their website and download the free app to help you identify birds that visit your yard or neighborhood where you live. You can choose any area to observe in your yard or your neighborhood or park (or even through your window), anywhere in the world, for 15 minutes and write down how many birds you spot during that period of time. Then it would help a lot if you can identify the bird species your observed.

You then record your observation data online on the Audubon Backyard Bird Count website.

By participating, you are helping scientists learn more about how birds are doing, how to protect the bird population and the environment we share. At the same time, it's fun to observe the birds.

There are 4 specific days each year to participate, but you are also encouraged to observe and submit your data throughout the year.

For more information here is the link: http://www.audubon.org/content/about-great-backyard-bird-count

Yesterday in a 15 minute period I spotted in our garden: 2 chestnut-back chickadees, 3 mourning doves, 2 oak titmice (I think that's the plural for titmouse!), 4 house finches, 4 white-crowned sparrows, 1 Anna's hummingbird, 2 bushtits, and a Western scrub jay.

But I have to admit that I can't identify the bird in the photo above that was sitting in our Coastal Redwood tree!

Anna's hummingbird hanging out on a branch of the dwarf Valencia orange tree.