For over a century, the Audubon Society has been holding an annual bird count around Christmas. The count actually starts mid-December and goes until a few days after New Year’s Day. Since we moved here thirty years ago, we’ve been lucky to be part of the southern Colorado Audubon Society’s route. After every local group finishes their count, the Christmas numbers are then compiled by members nationwide. This if very important data, it helps scientists know how birds are faring in the U.S.– which birds have declining numbers, which ones are holding their own, and even which ones have increased their range.
Here are some pictures from yesterday. The birds seem to love the nursery and the varied habitat they find here. They like the feeders, too!
Evening Grosbeak
Evening grosbeak numbers have declined in some parts of the country, so we’re happy to have a good flock of them here.
Evening Grosbeak, a little closer view.
Rufous-sided towhee
And pictures from today, after the snow started to fall:
Scrub Jay
Pine Siskin
Junco
In the 80’s, the blue jay didn’t live in our part of Colorado. We had scrub jays and Stellar jays, and pinyon jays, but not the eastern blue jay. It has gradually made its way west, and now is a common bird at our feeders. In the first picture below, the blue jay is holding a sunflower seed between its toes!
