Last weekend I proposed all us self-isolating birders spend Sunday birding at home, and share our results. Over 100 people responded, from some pretty far-flung places, as you will detect by some of the species named below.
The original Facebook post went like this: Housebound eBirder friends, let’s try something fun tomorrow, Sunday 3/22/20. Do a stay at home eBird list. Not saying you can’t or shouldn’t wander your yard, but to level the playing field, all species must be recorded with your feet indoors or on attached porch/deck. Open the windows and have at it, share your total on FB, and one or two favorites, and roughly where you are.
I heard back from many people in many places in the US and beyond. Great stuff, though most poignant perhaps were a few people in highly urbanized areas who pretty much can see no birds from home and fear the closing of parks and suffer limited travel. It’ll take me a while to sum it up, if you birded from home Sunday please share your list or highlights and email me (email at right side of this page), maybe we’ll have a tradition. My own list follows (how did I miss Tufted Titmouse ?!😉), then the responses of at least some of the other folks who "played:"
Middle Township, 15 Park Avenue
Mar 22, 2020
3:04 AM
Stationary
1,040 Minutes
All birds reported? Yes
Comments: Self quarantined eBirding
Submitted from eBird for iOS, version 2.0.3 Build 2.0.104
Mar 22, 2020
3:04 AM
Stationary
1,040 Minutes
All birds reported? Yes
Comments: Self quarantined eBirding
Submitted from eBird for iOS, version 2.0.3 Build 2.0.104
1 American Black Duck
2 Surf Scoter -- By voice, on bay. Honked “Uk uk” , do not hear often where wintering.
3 Black Scoter -- Bird one, calling on bay 3:04a
6 Long-tailed Duck -- Number coarse estimate, heard only vocalizing on bay.
2 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
4 Mourning Dove
3 Clapper Rail
4 Northern Gannet -- Heard only, coarse est., kakking out on bay, needed cupped hands for these.
1 Bald Eagle
1 Great Horned Owl
4 Red-bellied Woodpecker
10 Blue Jay
6 Fish Crow
1 Carolina Chickadee
4 Carolina Wren
18 European Starling
1 Northern Mockingbird
15 American Robin
20 House Sparrow
4 House Finch
16 White-throated Sparrow
50 Red-winged Blackbird
1 Brown-headed Cowbird
1 Rusty Blackbird -- Flyover.
1010 Common Grackle -- Careful estimate.
2 Yellow-rumped Warbler
6 Northern Cardinal
1 Dickcissel -- Heard electric shaver “bzzzt” in flight. Rare, have heard that one has been wintering locally, about 5th record for site since 2007.
2 Surf Scoter -- By voice, on bay. Honked “Uk uk” , do not hear often where wintering.
3 Black Scoter -- Bird one, calling on bay 3:04a
6 Long-tailed Duck -- Number coarse estimate, heard only vocalizing on bay.
2 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
4 Mourning Dove
3 Clapper Rail
4 Northern Gannet -- Heard only, coarse est., kakking out on bay, needed cupped hands for these.
1 Bald Eagle
1 Great Horned Owl
4 Red-bellied Woodpecker
10 Blue Jay
6 Fish Crow
1 Carolina Chickadee
4 Carolina Wren
18 European Starling
1 Northern Mockingbird
15 American Robin
20 House Sparrow
4 House Finch
16 White-throated Sparrow
50 Red-winged Blackbird
1 Brown-headed Cowbird
1 Rusty Blackbird -- Flyover.
1010 Common Grackle -- Careful estimate.
2 Yellow-rumped Warbler
6 Northern Cardinal
1 Dickcissel -- Heard electric shaver “bzzzt” in flight. Rare, have heard that one has been wintering locally, about 5th record for site since 2007.
Number of Taxa: 28
What fun birds to be able to see from your very own home!!
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Hello from West Orange, NJ:
6 robins, 2 cardinals, 4 blue jays, 6 house sparrows, 10 white throated sparrows, 2 chicadees, 4 american crows, 1 red bellied woodpecker, 4 mourning doves, 4 turkey vultures, 2 carolina wrens, 1 red tailed hawk
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Got my usual city yard denizens...House Sparrows and Finches, Goldfinches, Starlings, Grackles, Mourning Doves, Juncos and Cardinals...haven't actually put numbers to them yet. But the 1st of season female Cardinal finally answered the boys!
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Pileated at my suet tree and saw two Phoebes
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Two Bald Eagles out back of my house. Cell phone photo from my deck .Del Haven
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All my normal visitors this morning first things, sparrows, finches, doves, cardinal 4 pairs, robins - 3 pairs; blue jays; starlings and grackles, juncos are at back feeder now with the titmouse and wrens. a couple of red wings popping in and out. havent seen any hawks or falcons in a week or so.
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Hello from West Orange, NJ:
6 robins, 2 cardinals, 4 blue jays, 6 house sparrows, 10 white throated sparrows, 2 chicadees, 4 american crows, 1 red bellied woodpecker, 4 mourning doves, 4 turkey vultures, 2 carolina wrens, 1 red tailed hawk
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My first bird was Great Horned Owl at 1:46 am. Last was our Harris’s Sparrow!
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In response to Don Freiday's stay-at-home eBird list challenge, I started my morning on our side porch, sipping coffee and watching birds. The weather was perfect, and I added four first-of-the-year species to our yard list: Scott's Oriole, Western Tanager, Vermilion Flycatcher, and Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird (a female who declined to fan her tail feathers for me 🙄).
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On the down side, it reminded me just how much I need to send my Brunton Epochs in for repair. The focus between the barrels no longer balances, even with the diopter ring all the way to one side. Squinting through one eye at a time gave me a headache. 😖
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Had a late breakfast (9:00-ish) on the porch and had most of the “usuals” (HOFI, AMRO, NOCA, CARW, etc.). We were surprised by low flyover of three vocalizing Tundra Swans!
My first of the day was a White-crowned Sparrow singing outside the bedroom window as I was waking up, but when I opened the living room blinds I was treated to the FOY Scott's Oriole for our yard!
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Had all my usuals at the feeders but thrilled to have a mature Bald Eagle stop briefly before heading to the river.
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oops just saw this but we did have 2 really good birds here...naked eye too but we used bins later for better enjoyment.......1st Golden-cheeked warbler of the year in the driveway along with our recent resident (from last year) Hutton's Vireo...."chu-weeping " away!!
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Only managed 19 from open windows and some designated feeder watching. Only surprise was how little feeder activity there was not of the day, including no chickadees or titmice ☹️
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Have 5 so far including the Cooper’s Hawk that just scared everything away. Awesome to see how they maneuver through the trees. Indiana, USA
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So Don Freiday, I’m far, far away, but maybe eBird brings me closer to home. Thanks for the idea! Here’s my list:
Tucson home
Mar 22, 2020
12:45 PM
Stationary
74 Minutes
All birds reported? Yes
Comments: Submitted from eBird for iOS, version 2.0.10 Build 2.0.113
1 White-winged Dove
3 Mourning Dove
1 Anna's Hummingbird
1 Broad-billed Hummingbird
1 Red-tailed Hawk -- Missing a LOT of feathers on wings and tail
1 Gila Woodpecker
1 Vermilion Flycatcher
3 Common Raven
1 Verdin
1 Cactus Wren
8 House Sparrow
3 House Finch
2 Lesser Goldfinch
1 White-crowned Sparrow
1 Abert's Towhee
1 Lucy's Warbler
Number of Taxa: 16
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I am trying to resign myself to missing the migration. Whereas I can still get out to the city parks, I think their closure may be imminent. I am lucky that I have a car and am hopeful that I’ll be allowed to use it to leave the city to bird. But maybe not. Meanwhile, I’ve embarked on a new project to paint the migration. So far, Pine Warbler and Phoebe. Today, Golden-crowned Kinglet and maybe Fox Sparrow.
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From inside overlooking the Delaware Bay - Northern Gannets feeding and swooping, Black Scoter, several varieties of gulls, Bald Eagle, Peeps flying in groups towards the Point, and some ducks. Backyard had my usual yard birds -Dark-eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows, American Robins, Mourning Doves, House Finches, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, Grackles, Eastern Starlings, Carolina Wren, Chickadees.
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We had a male and female grackle (great-tailed) looking suggestively at each other in the backyard yesterday. I’m jealous for your broadbilled hummer.
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We're also in a male mockingbird's territory (he goes on and on as soon as it’s night right outside our kitchen door) and have Costas and Annas fighting over the feeders (we have many small ones hanging from the eaves). I've also seen Phainopeplas and a mates pair of cardinals in the back yard, especially when the feeders are filled.
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At the moment we are beset by an invasion of barbarian round-tailed ground squirrels so all seed is put up as I roam the yard filling in holes as fast as they are being dug. Almost time for hot pitch!
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Oh and we're in the hunting territory of a Cooper’s hawk by day and a mated pair of Great Horned Owls at night.
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I think the reason we're so good with birds is the cemetery on the other side of the back alley and Fort Lowell park four blocks north of us.
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Waimea (Kamuela), Hawai'i Island -- https://ebird.org/checklist/S66094351
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Carmel Valley, CA -- https://ebird.org/checklist/S66096869
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