Project FeederWatch Week 8

As I look at my records from last year, either 2009/2010 was a down year or 2010/2011 is an up year. I don't have enough data to really make comparisons yet. In 2009/2010, the highest number of species I had was 15 in weeks 19 and 20. In 2010/2011, I have only had two weeks (1 & 2) with fewer than 19 species. It will be interesting to see in years to come if this is an up year or if it's normal. Week 8 saw the highest species count of the year - 27 species. There were a few highlights from Week 8. Two Ruby-crowned Kinglets have found the suet and are using it regularly. Five Pine Warblers are now coming to the suet. A House Wren has found the suet and is using it when the Carolina Wren doesn't chase him off. An Eastern Phoebe visited my birdbath to get a drink of water.

Project FeederWatch Week 8 (27 species):
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1
Eurasian Collared Dove - 1
Mourning Dove - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2
Downy Woodpecker - 1
Eastern Phoebe - 1
Blue Jay - 4
Carolina Chickadee - 3
Tufted Titmouse - 2
Carolina Wren - 1
House Wren - 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 2
Eastern Bluebird - 2
American Robin - 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 1
Pine Warbler - 5
Chipping Sparrow - 5
White-throated Sparrow - 2
Dark-eyed Junco - 1
Northern Cardinal - 2
Red-winged Blackbird - 8
Brewer's Blackbird - 4
Common Grackle - 3
Brown-headed Cowbird - 3
American Goldfinch - 15
House Sparrow - 13

I did spend a few minutes away from my feeders going birding on the property. There was a flock of 25+ Dark-eyed Juncos in the pasture. I haven't seen this many juncos since I was a kid. The flock of nine American Pipits is still hanging out in the grass near the new pond. I spotted four Pileated Woodpeckers while in the woods. It's amazing how hard they can peck on trees. It sounds as if they are right above you when they're really quite a ways off! There are still hundreds of American Robins and Yellow-rumped Warblers all over the place. I saw my first Song Sparrow of the year in the pasture where the cows are fed hay. I have my BirdCam on the feeders in the woods and have some pictures below. The first picture is of a female Pine Warbler coming to get the sunflower hearts. The second image is of an American Goldfinch eating a black oil sunflower. The third image is of a Carolina Chickadee (top) and a Carolina Wren (bottom) on my suet log which I have loaded with Jim's Birdacious Bark Butter. I really liked how clear the wren is.