Category: Birds

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You Can Be a Part of the February Global Bird Count!

Everyone Can Be a Part of the February Global Bird Count! Courtesy Cornell Lab of Ornithology on behalf of Great Backyard Bird Count, birdcount.org
How many birds can you find?
28th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count
February 14-17, 2025
birdcount.org
Image: Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus
© Jim Merritt / Macaulay Library

Gray-crowned Rosy Finch Courtesy & Copyright Hilary Shughart, Photographer Gray-crowned Rosy Finch
Courtesy & Copyright Hilary Shughart, Photographer

There are deeply concerning drops in bird populations, and shifting migration ranges and patterns are changing before our eyes, but on the bright side, the crisis presents a strong reason and opportunities for even the most novice birders to be a part of the solution, to contribute to environmental conservation through community science. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Audubon Society, and Birds Canada urge us to walk into nature and count birds for the mid-February Global Bird Count known as the Great Backyard Bird Count. February is the month to help scientists better understand global bird populations before one of their annual migrations, and the data collected will help bend the curve for bird survival.

“Spend time in your favorite places watching birds–then tell us about them! In as little as 15 minutes notice the birds around you. Identify them, count them, and submit them to help scientists better understand and protect birds around the world. If you already use eBird or Merlin, your submissions over the 4 days count towards GBBC.”

Everything you need to know will be shared in a free online webinar, so “Get ready to flock together for the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)! Panelists will explain how to participate in this exciting global event and how participation might extend past your back door. Discover how to join a group taking part in the GBBC and explore fun ways to involve kids. From bird ID tips to counting birds with ease, this webinar is your ticket to an engaging and confident GBBC experience.”

We’ve posted links for local parks and trails with eBird printable checklists, and it’s encouraging to see the number and variety of species accessible right in town, and in our nearby National Forests and Wilderness Areas. Will you see American Robins, Black-billed Magpies, and Northern Flickers? Can you tell the difference between the American and the Lesser Goldfinch, or the Mountain and Black-capped Chickadee? Will you get lucky and spot a Gray-crowned Rosy finch feasting on black oil sunflower seeds in your own backyard?

There’s no time like the present to establish new traditions for connecting with nature and being part of the solution to the climate challenge. There are ample online resources for new and experienced birders, and in addition to the four local Utah Audubon Chapters, the Birding in Utah Facebook group provides a birding community with expert help with learning how to identify birds even in blurry photos. Team up to be a part of the constellation of community scientists documenting history, and weaving a safety net to ensure that birds have the places they need to thrive today and tomorrow.

I’m Hilary Shughart with the Bridgerland Audubon Society, and I am wild about the National Audubon initiative to promote community science for Bird-Friendly communities, and I am Wild About Utah!

Credits:
Images: Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus, © Jim Merritt / Macaulay Library, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch: Courtesy & Copyright Hilary Shughart
Featured Audio: Courtesy & Copyright © Kevin Colver, https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/collections/special-collections/kevin-colver
Text: Hilary Shughart, President, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/
Additional Reading: Hilary Shughart and Lyle Bingham, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional Reading

Other Wild About Utah pieces authored by Hilary Shughart

Global Bird Count in February, Great Backyard Bird Count, https://www.birdcount.org/

About the Great Backyard Bird Count, Every February, count for as little as 15 minutes in your own backyard to help expand our understanding of birds. National Audubon, https://www.audubon.org/conservation/about-great-backyard-bird-count

Global Bird Count in February; Great Backyard Bird Count, Birds Canada, https://www.birdscanada.org/bird-science/great-backyard-bird-count

eBird Field Checklist Sue’s Pond–Logan River Wetlands and Shorebird Playa (178 species), Cache, Utah, https://ebird.org/printableList?regionCode=L586105&yr=all&m=

Who Likes What: The Favorite Birdseed of Feeder Regulars and Rarities, Here are the top three seed choices for a variety of species, per a scientific observational study of 1.2 million bird feeder visits. National Audubon, https://www.audubon.org/news/who-likes-what-favorite-birdseed-feeder-regulars-and-rarities

Birding: The Basics & Beyond (1 hr 12 mn video), Natural Habitat Adventures & WWF(World Wildlife Fund), https://www.nathab.com/traveler-resources/webinars/your-daily-dose-of-nature/birding-the-basics-beyond/

Bridgerland Audubon Great Backyard Bird Count Page, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/birding-tools/birding-events/great-backyard-bird-count/

Howe, Frank, Rosy Finches, Local Bird Spotlight, The Stilt, Bridgerland Audubon Society, December 2009, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/documents/BAS-Stilts/Stilt-2009/Vol%2038%20Image%2010.pdf

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Gray-crowned_Rosy-Finch/overview#

“Get ready to flock together for the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)! Panelists will explain how to participate in this exciting global event and how participation might extend past your back door.”
Beyond the Backyard: All About the Great Backyard Bird Count Webinar, Thursday, February 6, 7:00-8:00 p.m. Eastern, AND Wednesday, February 12, 3:00-4:00 pm Eastern https://www.birdcount.org/webinar/

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Close Encounters vs. Survival

Close Encounters vs. Survival: Dusky Grouse Dendragapus, obscurus Courtesy US FWS, Ryan Hagerty, Photographer
Dusky Grouse, Dendragapus obscurus
Courtesy US FWS, Ryan Hagerty, Photographer
Just about everyone loves seeing wildlife in its natural habitat. Usually, we see animals at a distance – near enough to recognize, but not near enough to touch. There’s always that temptation, though, to get a closer look, to have that truly memorable close encounter.

Ruffed Grouse, Bonasa umbellus, in Snow Courtesy Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Ruffed Grouse in Snow
Bonasa umbellus
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Some years ago, a friend and I went cross-country skiing in Utah’s Bear River Range. It was one of those magical winter mountain mornings – the forest still and silent, snow falling very lightly around us. After a while we stopped for a snack in the shelter of a large fir tree. For a few minutes we chatted quietly, then we just listened. I heard a small rustling noise above me, looked up, and was surprised to see a grouse, perched calmly on a branch next to the tree trunk, so close that if I stood up straight, I could almost look it in the eye. I tapped my companion on the shoulder and pointed, then we grabbed our skis and moved slowly away, hoping not to disturb the bird any more than we already had.

Of course we were tempted to stick around, enjoying a memorable close encounter with a wild bird that many Utahns will never get to see in their lifetimes. But we were right to resist temptation.

So, what was this bird doing, anyhow, taking a risk by staying so close to two humans? First of all, it was a forest grouse. Utah has two species of these vaguely chicken-like birds, dusky grouse and ruffed grouse, and they both tend to avoid ground predators by sitting quietly in dense foliage rather than flying away like most other birds would.

But staying this close? That brings me to the second reason. It was winter. Animals that remain in Utah’s mountains year-round face a special challenge: balancing the need to eat with the need to keep warm. Foraging for food requires energy. During the growing season, there’s usually enough to eat to easily meet a daily calorie requirement. But in winter food is scarcer, and for plant-eating animals, the food that remains has a lower nutrient content. Not only that, but keeping warm also requires energy, and it’s harder to keep warm if you’re moving around in freezing weather, away from shelter. If the reason you’re moving around is not to find food but to escape a potential predator, that loss of calories is hard to make up.

Dusky grouse have a diverse plant diet in the warmer months, but their winter diet consists almost entirely of Douglas-fir and pine needles. It’s an abundant food source, but not an especially nutritious one. So, if they can escape a potential threat by standing still, instead of expending calories by flying to another tree, they’ll choose the energy-conserving option.

That same principle of energy conservation applies to other animals that are active in winter. The less they move around in the open air, the better. For mammals that are too heavy to walk on the snow surface, such as deer and elk, it takes extra energy to flee from a predator – or from a winter recreationist – while slogging through deep snow. By winter’s end, the cost of fleeing from possible dangers can add up – maybe even making the difference between survival and starvation. That’s why, when we’re out enjoying Utah’s backcountry in wintertime, we should always resist the temptation to have a close encounter of the wild kind.

I’m Mark Brunson, and I’m wild about Utah’s winter wildlife.

Credits:

Images Courtesy US Fish & Wildlife Service, Ryan Hagerty, Photographer, https://www.fws.gov/media/dusky-grouse-2
Featured Audio: Courtesy & Copyright © Friend Weller, Utah Public Radio upr.org, and audio Courtesy & © Anderson, Howe and Wakeman
Text: Mark Brunson, https://www.usu.edu/experts/profile/mark-brunson/
Additional Reading: Mark Brunson and Lyle Bingham, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional Reading

Wild About Utah pieces authored by Mark Brunson

Miller, Matthew L., The Grouse in Winter, Cool Green Science, The Nature Conservancy, https://blog.nature.org/2014/01/16/the-grouse-in-winter/

Environmental Impact of Winter Recreation, American Trails, https://www.americantrails.org/resources/environmental-impacts-of-winter-recreation

Winter Range Disturbance Fact Sheet 17, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Mule Deer Working Group, Western Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies and Utah Department of Natural Resources, State of Utah, https://wildlife.utah.gov/pdf/mule_deer/mdwg-17_winter_range_disturbance.pdf

Leavitt, Shauna, Western Forest Grouse, Wild About Utah, November 5, 2018, https://wildaboututah.org/western-forest-grouse/

Carpenter, Chuck III; Farnsworth, Skyler; and Dahlgren, David K., “Forest Grouse in the Fall” (2020). All Current Publications. Paper 2080.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/extension_curall/2080
also https://wildlife.utah.gov/pdf/upland/forest_grouse_in_the_fall.pdf

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Excitement at the Bird Feeder!

Bird Feeder in Winter<br />Ready for Reloading Courtesy Pixabay, PGloutnay, Contributor
Bird Feeder in Winter
Ready for Reloading
Courtesy Pixabay, PGloutnay, Contributor
Excitement at the Bird Feeder! There are many reasons for having a bird feeder, especially in the winter season when birds are often hanging on by a thread due to challenges from inclement weather and lack of food. Where to place a feeder and how to manage it for bird health and safety has been well covered by Hilary Shughart in earlier Wild About Utah readings. Additionally, she mentions several citizen science programs for feeder watchers you may engage in, adding important data on bird population dynamics.

Beyond what feeders provide for birds, it can add joy to one’s life, especially during these short, cold winter days. Nearing four decades of feeding birds at our home in Northern Utah, we’ve had many pleasant surprises from who decides to stop by for a snack beyond the usual chickadees, an assortment of finches, and juncos.

Most recently a pair of Steller’s jays have been attacking our suet block. These handsome rascals spend their summer in high-country coniferous forests. All members of the jay (corvid) family are known for their intelligence and adaptability. Several years ago, this seedeater showed up on a branch near our kitchen window with a fat meadow vole dangling from its beak. And you thought you knew me Jack!

Even rarer than Steller’s jays are eastern blue jays. These striking birds stop by about once a decade causing quite a stir. Being from the east, it’s music to my ears when hearing their loud, sharp calls, warming my winter soul. It amuses me to see these marauders skulking around with a very different attitude than their usual bawdy behavior. A favorite summer bird found in thick canyon shrubs showed up at the feeder several years ago. The green tail towhee wears a vibrant russet cap to complement its greenish toned tail. There it was, hopping around our deck snatching tidbits dropped from the feeder above. Another sweat treat!

A teacher friend, whom you may have heard on Wild About Utah, has feeders attached to his classroom window. His second graders have learned nearly every bird who arrives. He sent me a photo of a puzzler. Following a bit of sleuthing, I was amazed to identify it as a pine grosbeak, a most unusual winter visitor!

Predatory birds are an infrequent delight. On rare occasions, the sharp shinned hawk bolts through hoping to snatch a songbird from the feeder, as do the Northern pigmy and western screech owls. This brings mixed emotions. I will always root for the songbird, but in the recesses of my mind, realize they must eat or perish. After all, I eat chicken!

Two winter beauties who have missed my feeder thus far, the evening grosbeak and gray crowned rosy finch- perhaps this will be the winter when they bless me with their presence! May you be blessed by feeding your birds as well!

Jack Greene for Bridgerland Audubon Society, and I’m wild about Utah’s wild feeder birds!

Credits:
Image: Courtesy Pixabay, PGloutnay, Contributor https://pixabay.com/photos/winter-manger-bird-feeder-bird-1428270/
Audio: Courtesy & © Kevin Colver https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/collections/special-collections/kevin-colver
Text: Jack Greene, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/
Additional Reading: Jack Greene & Lyle W Bingham, Webmaster, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional Reading:

Jack Greene’s Postings on Wild About Utah, https://wildaboututah.org/author/jack/

Shughart, Hilary, Enhance Backyard Birdwatching–Feed & Protect Birds, Wild About Utah, October 2, 2023, https://wildaboututah.org/enhance-backyard-birdwatching-feed-protect-birds/

L’Ai, Linda, Native Plants for Birds, Wild About Utah, February 8, 2021, https://wildaboututah.org/native-plants-for-birds/

Feeding Birds: a Quick Guide to Seed Types | All About Birds, Apr 20, 2009, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/types-of-bird-seed-a-quick-guide/

Why Do We Feed Birds—and Should We? A Q&A With the Experts, All About Birds, Dec 18, 2018, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/why-do-we-feed-birds-and-should-we-a-qa-with-the-experts/

Analysis: Do Bird Feeders Help or Hurt Birds? – All About Birds, Jan 11, 2017, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/analysis-do-bird-feeders-help-or-hurt-birds/

Winter Bird Feeding 101 with Project FeederWatch | Bird Academy, AllAboutBirds, Nov 19, 2020, https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/live-event/winter-bird-feeding-101-with-project-feederwatch/

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Mundane to Magical Experiences

Mundane to Magical Experiences: Whole Class at First Dam, Courtesy & Copyright Joseph Kozlowski, Photographer
Whole Class at First Dam
Courtesy & Copyright Joseph Kozlowski, Photographer

Mundane to Magical Experiences: Using Binoculars to Look for Ducks, Courtesy & Copyright Joseph Kozlowski, Photographer Using Binoculars to Look for Ducks
Courtesy & Copyright Joseph Kozlowski, Photographer

Spotting Scope with Image Transmitter, Courtesy & Copyright Joseph Kozlowski, Photographer Spotting Scope with Image Transmitter
Courtesy & Copyright Joseph Kozlowski, Photographer

One aspect of experiential learning I love most is how it turns mundane encounters into magical experiences. How many times have your children walked by a pond full of ducks and geese without batting an eye, or shuffled their feet through fallen, Autumn leaves on their way to this or to that? I continue to be astonished by how much there is to appreciate and to learn from our surroundings, but we lend it a bit of our attention and wonder. It’s amazing to see how just a little preparatory investigation can turn fleeting everyday moments into lifelong learning memories.

My 2nd-grade class focuses on learning about birds. I don’t just mean we read a few books and discuss the basics of birds. I mean my students can replicate the sounds of at least 15 local birds, provide detailed descriptions of their body characteristics, and even provide information about their diet, habits, and behaviors. We’ve studied birds all year long, partnered with local bird organizations – Bridgerland Audubon Society, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge –, been on numerous birding outings, and let’s just say are ALL IN on birding.

With the recent weather systems and cold fronts in Northern Utah, we’ve seen waterfowl migrations come alive; a perfect time to study that classification of birds with my students! Little did I, or my students, realize there was so much to learn about common waterfowl! Did you know some waterfowl dive for food and others dabble? Did you know about preening to keep waterproof, or special down feathers to keep warm? How about your knowledge on a Redhead Duck’s nest parasitism techniques? Well, my students learned about these things, and many more over the span of a few weeks. As a culminating event, we planned a field experience to Logan’s 1st Dam, a local and vibrantly busy park, which surrounds a small reservoir, and is about a 45-minute walk from our school’s front door. Many of my students have been to this park numerous times throughout their lives with their families. Needless to say, there is nothing novel about this location.

Armed with binoculars leant by the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, and a spotting scope with an image transmitter granted us by Bridgerland Audubon Society, students began to observe, count, and be astonished by what they saw. It was as if the students had never seen a Canada Goose or Mallard duck in their lives. Their background knowledge on these birds brought to life the mundane place they were experiencing, as kids shouted “Look, it’s dabbling!” or “I saw 15 drakes and 19 hens, that’s 34 total!” or “I bet that Redhead is trying to find someone else’s nest to lay her eggs!” The point here is that, with proper prior investigation and attention to details of place, a mundane park can become a treasured location for observing, questioning, and astonishment. What are some mundane experiences around you that could become inspiring and magical learning opportunities?

This is Dr. Joseph Kozlowski, and I am Wild about Outdoor Education in Utah!
Credits:

Images: Courtesy & Copyright Joseph Kozlowski, Photographer, Used by Permission
Featured Audio: Courtesy & Copyright © Kevin Colver, https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/collections/special-collections/kevin-colver
Text:     Joseph Kozlowski, Edith Bowen Laboratory School, Utah State University https://edithbowen.usu.edu/
Additional Reading Links: Joseph Kozlowski & Lyle Bingham

Additional Reading:

Joseph (Joey) Kozlowski’s pieces on Wild About Utah:

Rosenberg, Ken, Choosing a Spotting Scope, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2008, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/scope-quest-2008-our-review-of-spotting-scopes/?pid=1039

How To Choose Binoculars: Our Testing Tips, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Updated December 4, 2022, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/six-steps-to-choosing-a-pair-of-binoculars-youll-love/

Free K-12 Lessons Open Doors for Kids to Explore Nature and Science, Cornell Lab Annual Report 2023, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Updated December 4, 2022, https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/free-k-12-lessons-open-doors-for-kids-to-explore-nature-and-science/