The New Hampshire Audubon Society Backyard Winter Bird Survey is Feb 9-10. This is for NH only, but you might check out your state Audubon Society's website and see if a birdcount is scheduled for your area.
The Great Backyard Bird Count, put on by Cornell University (partnered with Audubon) is Feb 15-18. This is a continent wide count, so most of my readers can participate.
Speaking of birds, the local BiL says he saw several Pine Grosbeaks in his crabapple tree. All of my books say that its wintering range is farther north, with occassional eruptions down this far (and further) south. However, Cornell University says NH is a regular wintering area. All I can say is that I doubted he saw one because I've never seen one (and goodness knows, I've seen every bird to ever be in the state - not), but now I know that they are at least irregular visitors, I believe.
Anyway, if you have any interest in bird watching, participate in your local, or the North American, bird count.
Thanks, Bogie. Your dad always makes sure that the GBBC is on both of our calendars--and--he makes the forms for us to fill out each day, fills out the "final", and submits it. Pretty good for a guy who didn't start birdwatching until he was nearly 50 (he did it in self-defense when I lived in Albuquerque because Elder Brother and I dragged him along when we went to Bosque del Apache, etc.) As to the pine grosbeak: please send a couple down this way, would you? We've had a pair of purple finches all winter (not every day, but frequently enough that we know they are in the area), and a pair of red-breasted nuthatches--that were conspicuous by their absence, last year. I heard the red-breasted NHs last year, but all we saw were the more numerous white-breasted.
Posted by: Cop Car | February 02, 2008 at 01:28 PM
Only if the pine grosbeaks make it this way will I be trying to coax them down to your area.
We've had red polls this year. They come in only sporatically; I think it has been 3-4 years since their last time down here.
Posted by: Bogie | February 03, 2008 at 06:24 AM
It has been ages since I last saw a red poll. I recall seeing one as a teenager; but can't think of any, since.
Posted by: Cop Car | February 04, 2008 at 09:46 AM