GBBC first day visitors.....

The Great Backyard Bird Count is a wonderful way to keep track of our birds at least once every year.  The count runs from Feb. 15-18 this year.  Everyone should do a little watching and counting and try to turn in at least one list.  You can also send in photos for their gallery.  I don't usually enter any, but some of you readers might get your photos on-line at the site.  Here are some of my visitors from the first day of the count.

 Female Cardinal and a couple of House Finches cleaning up under the feeder.

 Mrs. Cardinal by herself, both above and below.

 Mr. Cardinal.  

I can sure see why Charles Harper paints birds as geometric shapes when I look at this photo.  The Cardinal was one of his favorites to paint.  Round bird, perfect rectangle of black around the bill.  I love Harper's paintings!

Two male Cardinals and a male House Finch 

Mourning Dove 

Female Downy Woodpecker 

 A rather distant shot, but I liked how the Downy was hanging on the low branch and the pair of Cardinals were sitting up higher.

 The Mallard pair that showed up on the lake just in time for me to count them.  We have had a pair of Canada Geese out there all week, but they didn't show up yesterday while I was counting.

 Male Downy

Mockingbird 

Pine Siskins 

My favorite little Red-breasted Nuthatch....it sure loves peanuts! 

 Red-bellied Woodpecker finally showed up.

 The Red-bellied doesn't really like sharing and had a "spat" with a blackbird ....dueling beaks.....a few minutes before this photo.  The Blackbird won that battle, but then left.

Mr. and Mrs. Red-wing Blackbird 

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker showed up for a few minutes. 

 Song Sparrow.  I had two finally.  I'm always happy to see at least two of everything so I know I have possible mating pairs hanging around.

 As soon as the nuthatch left, the Titmouse showed up for his share of the peanuts.

Not very good photo of a White-throated Sparrow, but I was inside shooting through the door windows. They love to dig around for seeds that I throw in those leaves at the end of the driveway.....along with the Juncos, House Sparrows, doves, and Cardinals.  

Ozma helping me count birds.  Actually she is getting so blind...cataracts...that she probably has no idea what she is seeing other then movement!