Tis The Season For Christmas Bird Counting

"And a partridge in a pear tree."

Its' time for the Christmas Bird Count again! The Audubon organization sponsors the annual event each year during the Christmas holidays. Happening from December 14, 2011 through January 5, 2012, the volunteer army of bird-watchers count the various species seen in their yards, cities, and wildlife preserves.  The festive activity to involve people to help birds with a friendly bird experience. 

The data collected will help provide information on species populations and migration trends. Over 50,000 observers in 2000 locations from the Artic Circle to South America's Tierra del Fuego will participate.

You still have opportunity to get involved by contacting your local Audubon group.  You must be 19 yeas old to register and participate and there is a $5 fee which helps defray local expenses of counting equipment and materials.

I wonder if someone will see a partridge in a pear tree?  Probably more like cardinals with snow expected on Christmas Day for our northern feathered friends.

Here's a slideshow I took of birds visiting my mother-in-law's birdfeeder on New Year's Eve 2008.

Feed The Birds - New Year’s Eve 2008, Taunton MA

Free 2012 Bird Watching Calendar

For its 25th anniversary, Cornell Lab of Ornthinology is giving away free beautiful bird-watching 2011 -2012 calendars. The wall calendar provides an easy way to keep track of the days for Project Feeder Watch,  a seasonal all-winter tracking of birds at feeders throughout North America.

Please participate in Project Feeder Watch. The Watch goes from November through April 6th but they are still enrolling bird watching afficinados. You have to sign up and receive a number to turn in your sightings. 

Feed The Birds - New Year’s Eve 2008, Taunton MA

In Your Backyard: "Spring Flings"

My favorite blooming season is spring. With the record-breaking cold temperatures, we should see wonderful flowering trees this year. This weekend on Valentine's Day, our spend-the-night guests included our grandchildren and more migrating robins flocking with Bohemian and cedar waxwings.

It was the first time I had seen waxwings in our yard. For the whole day our front yard was full of birds sipping and dunking in the birdbath. They were happy to sit on the thin but sturdy, native May haw trees surrounding their cement pond. My granddaughter identified the Bohemian waxwings with their rufous (red) faces and undertail area that differentiate them from cedar waxwings. They almost looked like baby cardinals at first. The holly and cherry laurel trees on our street must have attracted them. I know that if I had opened the door to take photographs they would have swooped up to the trees. It's the first time I've actually thought about putting a camoflauged hunter's deer blind on my porch or in my front window so that I would be able to take photos.

©2008 Teresa Watkins

Azaleas are starting to bloom now and flushed out by the middle of March. It's a great time to stop by your favorite nursery to find just the right color azalea for your yard.

I have seen a few tabebuias and redbuds in the full sun already blooming but my yard is still in partial shade with the sun's pattern, so mine will probably take a few more weeks to open. Dogwoods should be following soon along with the tabebuias. Tabebuias, also called trumpet trees, come in gorgeous Peter Max colors of hot pink and hot yellows.

©2008 Teresa Watkins

The shocking pink Tabebuia impetiginosa grows between 25 and 40 feet tall, should be planted in full sun, no pest problems, and is very drought tolerant when established.

The brilliant sunny yellow Tabebuia chrysotricha, usually smaller than its pink cousin, but just as striking in front of your house.

This weekend temperatures will be in the low 70's and should be an excellent time to plant trees and shrubs in your yard.

In your lawns, look out for the invasive and aggravating oxalis, Bayer Weed B-Gone Chickweed, Clover, and Oxalis herbicide will do the trick. I'll be working on my mine but saving a few for St. Patrick's Day next month. Always follow the label instructions on any chemical product you apply in your landscape.

©2008 Teresa Watkins

Listen into "In Your Backyard" at 11:05 today and call with your landscape dilemmas.

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Great calls today! Lots of citrus questions! Stay tuned to In Your Backyard next week for more citrus information.

With the help of John in Wildwood, we identified Edward's "marijuana-like" leaf shrub. It is a Vitex Chaste shrub. At this time, my vitex chaste is still dormant, but here's a great photograph of one I saw in College Park last year. Give this fragrant, lavender flowering shrub or tree lots of room to grow.

©2009 Teresa Watkins

Feed The Birds

Previously posted on January 4, 2008

With the coldest weather occuring in 25 years, I thought you might enjoy seeing these wonderful bird photos from our 2008 Christmas trip to New England ~ Teresa.

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We're up visiting family in Taunton, Massachusetts for New Year's. In typical New England winter style, we received a blanket of 8" of snow. The birds are regular diners on the patio and flew non-stop throughout the day. How many birds can you identify? Click on the title "Feed The Birds" above to see all 200+ photographs.