Máistir Nádúraí: My GBBC Results!

2.16.2010

My GBBC Results!

Cooper's Hawk hunting around my apartment complex.

Did you participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count?

Here are my results:

Locality: 53717, Madison, Dane County, WI

Observation Date: FEB 13, 2010

Start Time: 7:00 AM

Total Birding Time: 2 hours

Party Size: 1

Skill: excellent

Weather: excellent

Snow Depth: 6 - 8 in (15.2 - 20.3 cm)

Cooper's Hawk - 1

Red-tailed Hawk - 1

Mourning Dove - 5

Downy Woodpecker - 1

Blue Jay - 2

American Crow - 2

Black-capped Chickadee - 1

White-breasted Nuthatch - 1

European Starling - 2

American Tree Sparrow - 1

Dark-eyed Junco - 12

Northern Cardinal - 2

House Finch - 3

American Goldfinch - 2

House Sparrow - 4

Not bad for an apartment complex in an urbanized area, eh? The Cooper's Hawk was a nice surprise for my count, but the songbirds didn't appreciate the adept predator hunting through the bushes along the apartments. Typically I have more chickadees around, but saw only one during my count on Saturday. Perhaps this is a sign of chickadee intelligence (behavior) with regard to presence of a bird of prey?

Here is 2010's GBBC participation map:

Here is 2008's Presidential Election Results map:

Bio:

Mike McDowell has been documenting southern Wisconsin’s flora and fauna since 1987 and began leading field trips in 2002. Prolific at Pheasant Branch Conservancy, other highlighted natural areas include Pope Farm Conservancy, Spring Green Preserve, and the Baraboo Hills. His nature photography has appeared in various publications, newspapers, magazines and was even featured on a Wisconsin Endangered Resources license plate, a Capital Brewery beer label, and a National Geographic publication. He began journaling nature observations on this blog in 2005. He's the recipient of the 2012 Bronze Passenger Pigeon Award from the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their local communities or state to promote the field of ornithology. He was a finalist in Swarovski’s Digiscoper of the Year photography contest several times. His other interests include insect macro-photography (especially tiger beetles, treehoppers, and robber flies), fossil collecting, amateur astronomy, botany, natural history, and marksmanship with long-range firearms. Once a gigging musician, collecting Fender Stratocasters is a recently revived interest—most prized being a 1957 Vintage Custom 'Mary Kaye' White Blonde. A former IT Professional, he's spent the last 24 years employed in the sport optics industry and has more binoculars than you.