bioblitz: at work

Today is the day I chose to contribute to the Blogger BioBlitz by censusing birds at work (first blitz day here). I had grandiose plans of including other taxa and really getting out and doing a good survey. But circumstances had me distracted and multitasking, so I was really only able to keep track of birds in my immediate study area while I also had some mist nets up.  After that, I only had time for a quick walk after lunch, when there were many people out on the trails and most birds were taking a little siesta. So the list only covers perhaps two hours of birding. Numbers are observations; any banded birds are noted.  Birds in bold are first-of-the-season for my southeastern Michigan site.

Canada Goose -- 6
Mallard -- 1
Great Blue Heron -- 2
Turkey Vulture -- 3
Cooper's Hawk -- 3
Red-tailed Hawk -- 1
Killdeer -- 2
Ring-billed Gull -- 7
Rock Pigeon -- 5
Mourning Dove -- 2
Chimney Swift -- 6
Belted Kingfisher -- 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker -- 6
Downy Woodpecker -- 4
Hairy Woodpecker -- 1
Northern "Yellow-shafted" Flicker -- 7
Blue-headed Vireo -- 1
Blue Jay -- 1
N. Rough-winged Swallow -- 1
Barn Swallow -- 3
Black-capped Chickadee -- 5 plus 2 banded, both recaps from 2006
Tufted Titmouse -- 1
White-breasted Nuthatch -- 4
Brown Creeper -- 1
Carolina Wren -- 2
House Wren -- 1 banded
Winter Wren -- 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet -- 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet -- 17 plus one banded
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher -- 5
Hermit Thrush -- 1
American Robin -- 24 plus 2 banded
Brown Thrasher -- 2 banded, one was a recapture from last fall.  The photo is of the one that was not a recapture.  Note the gray fringing to the iris; that and a couple plumage characteristics indicated this was a bird born last year.  The recaptured bird had totally yellow eyes, a shade deeper yellow that this.
European Starling -- 4
Yellow-rumped "Myrtle" Warbler -- 17
Black-and-white Warbler -- 1
Eastern Towhee -- 1
Chipping Sparrow -- 6
Field Sparrow -- 1
Song Sparrow -- 5 plus 2 banded
Swamp Sparrow -- 2 plus 2 banded
White-throated Sparrow -- 120 plus 6 banded. The photo is of an especially pretty one.
Dark-eyed "Slate-colored" Junco -- 1
Northern Cardinal -- 15
Red-winged Blackbird -- 2
Common Grackle -- 1
Brown-headed Cowbird -- 8 plus 2 banded
House Finch -- 2
American Goldfinch -- 6 plus 1 banded
House Sparrow -- 6

Comments

[Jenn]

I cannot really get anything meaningful out of your list, because I am too distracted by those gorgeous bird photos!!! :-)

[Deepak]

This is great stuff. It's been ages since I have done serious bird counts.

It's interesting to see the distribution of birds between your neck of the woods and the pac northwest. I have to step out of the door and there are about 20 red-winged blackbirds there.

Some nice birds there. Would love to see a gnatcatcher.