Today is eBird’s Global Big Day. If you have not planned to spend some time out looking for birds today, please take some time to do so and report your findings to eBird or the nature site of your choice.
We each watch for birds in our yard or patches — however, and how many, you wish to define that to be — and keep a list of them to share each month in the Bird Race diary in some way. We will each be keeping track of our own bird lists. Ebird is a very easy way to do that. Or you can write them down in a notebook.
Or you can take pictures and add them to a folder on your computer.
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There are no “rules” for the Bird Race beyond what you set for yourself. Some ideas for information that you might share here as part of the conversation, any combinations of:
- A total list or count of birds you have seen: monthly, year to date, life
- New birds you have seen, since the last tally
- Interesting behavior you have seen
- Any patterns or changes in patterns
- General location in the country
- Type of habitat
- Bird ID sites or articles you have found helpful, general or bird family specific
- Equipment you use, how you use it, why you got it, where you got it, how to maintain and care for it
- Photo processing tips and storage/display sites
If you move or travel during the year, it would be very interesting to compare the backyard birds you see in different settings!
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Terminology
- Patch — A favorite area to bird usually not your immediate backyard
- Observation — Seeing or hearing a bird that you can positively ID
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The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge.
We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns spinning around us.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
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My Yard is the area around my apartment complex. My Patch is my yard plus a nearby park with ponds. My other groupings are County, State, US and world.
April was a great month for me birding wise. I observed 175 species total, with 126 each in Nevada and California.
No new birds for my yard or patch, leaving my totals at 16 and 25 respectively.
I added 28 species for my county and state, bringing my totals to 163 and 165 respectively. The new birds were Band-tailed Pigeon, Evening Grosbeak, House Wren, Cliff Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Orange-crowned Warbler, Osprey, Barn Swallow, Sandhill Crane, Sabine’s Gull, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Hooded Oriole, Black-bellied Plover, Bank Swallow, Swainson’s Hawk, Snowy Egret, Caspian Tern, White-faced Ibis, Sagebrush Sparrow, Violet-green Swallow, Spotted Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper, Wilson’s Phalarope, Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brewer’s Sparrow, Forster’s Tern, and Bonaparte’s Gull.
I added 57 species for the country and world, bringing my total to 204. My new sightings were Evening Grosbeak, House Wren, Cliff Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Orange-crowned Warbler, Osprey, Barn Swallow, Sandhill Crane, Sabine’s Gull, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Hooded Oriole, Black-bellied Plover, Bank Swallow, Swainson’s Hawk, Caspian Tern, White-faced Ibis, Sagebrush Sparrow, Violet-green Swallow, Spotted Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper, Wilson’s Phalarope, Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brewer’s Sparrow, Forster’s Tern, Bonaparte’s Gull, Wild Turkey, Lark Sparrow, Western Kingbird, White-tailed Kite, Ring-necked Pheasant, California Towhee, Pacific Wren, Red-necked Grebe, Green Heron, Wilson’s Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Wrentit, Marbled Godwit, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Allen’s Hummingbird, Black-headed Grosbeak, White-throated Swift, Oak Titmouse, Cassin’s Vireo, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Common Murre, Brown Pelican, Pigeon Guillemot, Black Oystercatcher, Long-tailed Duck, Pacific Loon, Short-billed Dowitcher, Sanderling, Snowy Plover and Brant.
I added 12 species to my life list. White-tailed Kite, Ring-necked Pheasant, California Towhee, Wrentit, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Allen’s Hummingbird, Oak Titmouse, Common Murre, Brown Pelican, Pigeon Guillemot, Black Oystercatcher, and Brant. My life list stands at 288 species.
What new birdies for the year did you see in April/since your last report?
If anyone wants to publish a Daily Bucket the same day as the Backyard Bird Race please let me know and I will not make the BBR a Daily Bucket.
Next Bird Race report day is Saturday, June 11.