weather fun

[kayre]

I don't like being the person who decides whether or not to cancel an event during bad weather, but last night I got it just right. Handbell practice was scheduled for 6:30, with the winter storm warning set for 7:00. After cogitation, I held practice-- but emailed the one person who lives a substantial distance away and asked her to stay home. We had an excellent practice with reduced numbers (several people were already signed out), and conditions were slippery but not terrible when we left.

*****

Today is my first day of counting birds for Project Feederwatch this season. With a heavy first snowfall, there are lots of hungry birds out there! I know any time I count is a Good Day because I've advanced science a smidge-- but busy feeder days are more fun than quiet ones. Besides "the usual suspects," I've had a couple of less common birds, and species that often don't appear until later in the season.

Comments

[bethynyc]

What sort of birds do you see? We have bluejays, mourning doves, and sparrows all the time, with cardinals, tufted titmice, and dark eyed juncos less often.

[kayre]

Today's list was mourning doves, a redbellied woodpecker and a downy woodpecker, chickadees, titmice, a Carolina wren, a tree sparrow, juncoes, cardinals, house sparrows, and a white crowned sparrow (that's an uncommon one). I'm surprised we had no blue jays today, or white-throated nuthatches.

Experts are predicting a 'breakout' year, when we may have some species that don't always come this far south-- I'm hoping for redpolls and grosbeaks.

We also have a neighborhood broad-winged hawk, who does occasionally count as a bird feeder visitor-- though of course what it is hoping to eat are the other guests!

[amaebi]

Brava! Brava!

[asakiyume]

Well called. Yes, that's an unpleasant responsibility, especially since conditions can really vary for different people in your group. Glad it all went well.