-M- Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 As I wrote last year, I first read about “Bird of the Year†fourteen or so years ago, in Lyanda Lynn Haupt’s paean to birding, Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds. She writes: There is a game birders play on New Year’s Day called “Bird of the Year.†The very first bird you see on the first day of the new year is your theme bird for the next 365 days. It might seem a curious custom, but people who watch birds regularly are always contriving ways to keep themselves interested. This is one of those ways. You are given the possibility of creating something extraordinary — a Year of the Osprey, Year of the Pileated Woodpecker, Year of the Trumpeter Swan. This game is an inspiration to place yourself in natural circumstances that will yield a heavenly bird, blessing your year, your perspective, your imagination, your spirit. New year, new bird. After her breathless anticipation, Haupt is confronted with… an Eastern Starling, or “sky-rat.†The Year of the Eastern Starling. Inauspicious, yes, but not without its charms, according to Haupt. Before heading to bed on New Year’s Eve, then, I ensure that all of the feeders are topped off and that corn and nuts are scattered for the squirrels. (As backyard birders know, there are no squirrel-proof feeders. Cheap feed scattered away from the feeders will (mostly) keep those furry nuisances away from the birds and the more expensive seed, though.) Some years, I hang a Post-It on the big window to remind everyone to note his or her first bird. What will it be this year? Happy New Year! I look forward to seeing everyone's birds! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 I've been a bad birder then. I know I was into it for that day, maybe 3 days. Then I forgot. It may have been the Carolina Wren, which I am seeing in the back yard today, as well as cardinals. We have an icy coating everywhere and I haven't been feeding the birds because of the many nuisance rodents (squirrels and rats). It must be a good yard though. We continue to see a lot of birds for as small as the yard is since we have a bird bath out for them. Even with it being in the 20s today they are still wanting a drink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 There is a 90% chance of it being an Oregon Junco since that is 90% of what I am seeing at the birdfeeders right now. But having said that, last year my first bird was a crow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 It will most likely be a crow since they sit in the pecan tree, making a bunch of noise and looking over the orchard for some fermented peach remnants....:) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 Right now, I've got goldfinches, juncoes, sparrows, blue jays, cardinals, and a few varieties of woodpeckers at my feeders. The goldfinches are most numerous and they show up very early in the morning, so that will probably be my bird of the year. :) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolate-chip chooky Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 It's New Year's morning here in Australia. The first birds I heard were the kookaburras. Their raucous laughter wakes me just before dawn. I then go and get our chookies up for the day. All of our wild birds are just stirring at that time. So, the first bird I actually saw was our Silver-Laced Wyandotte (like my avatar), the first out of the coop, but the first heard were the kookaburras. I wish this could count, but yesterday afternoon we had 5 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos in our yard. They are one of my favourites. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 (edited) Right now, I've got goldfinches, juncoes, sparrows, blue jays, cardinals, and a few varieties of woodpeckers at my feeders. The goldfinches are most numerous and they show up very early in the morning, so that will probably be my bird of the year. :)The goldfinches here disappear in mid-fall. I assume they migrate. I have never seen one here in the winter, in 20 years. Interesting that yours stay in the much colder climate. We have oodles of house finches though. Edited December 31, 2017 by ScoutTN 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 The last three years my first bird has been a chickadee, a sparrow, and a carolina wren, respectively. Maybe one year I'll go for an early morning walk by the creek to see if I can get something more exciting. But it is supposed to be 3 degrees here tomorrow morning (without the wind), so I will just watch the feeder in my pjs, with my coffee and be content. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 The goldfinches here disappear in mid-fall. I assume they migrate. I have never seen one here in the winter, in 20 years. Interesting that yours stay in the much colder climate. We have oodles of house finches though. That is interesting! I wonder why in the world they stick around for our horrible winters? There are probably around 100 of them at any given time on our deck. We go through loads of thistle seed! We have house finches, too, but not as many. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-M- Posted January 1, 2018 Author Share Posted January 1, 2018 Northern cardinal this year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 (edited) Downy woodpecker! He's the lone bird on my feeder this frosty morning. Unusually cold here, -7 with the wind chill. Edited January 1, 2018 by ScoutTN 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 Goldfinch, as expected! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 Interesting! In this weather, we're not seeing any birds at all. But, I'll be watching just in case! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 Not counting the chickens... We had two cardinals (female birds), a drab little field sparrow and a goldfinch that was washed out and didn't look like a goldfinch. Maybe this means our year will be colorless? :laugh: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jen3kids Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 My first sighting this morning was a red-bellied woodpecker! We have loads of house finches, tufted titmouse (titmice?), and juncos, but this fellow's bright red head caught my attention first this morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calm37 Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 There were two very plumped-up goldfinches on the thistle feeder this morning. I am so sad for them as it is -19 degrees out there. :( 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 How fun. A fluffed up bird briefly snuggled on my windowsill this morning, but it flew away before I could tell what it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIN MOUSA Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 (edited) Do stuffed birds count (as in toys, not taxidermy)? My kids left a stuffed roadrunner out and that would count as the first bird I spotted this year. The Year of the Roadrunner ... I like it :lol: editted for spelling Edited January 1, 2018 by JIN MOUSA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 I predicted it. Oregon Junco it is. I don't know how to translate that into a prediction about the year, though. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 I will have the Year of the Carolina Wren in 2018. I'm going to make it my background picture on my computer. I did the same last year when a Nuthatch was the one I saw. Melissa, last year, because of you starting this thread, I also read Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds. I loved it & it was one of my favorite books of the years. Just a lovely balm for the soul, that book. Thank you. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 Northern Cardinal (male) for me too. I’m happy because they are one of my favorites. I don’t know much about their personalities or behaviours but I just love seeing the bright flash of red in the winter. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kebo Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 (edited) Ours was a cactus wren, on our suet feeder. Thanks for posting, my daughter might be interested in keeping a yearly tally! Edited January 1, 2018 by Kebo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 We talked about this last year! Because I am an active birder, and because my bird of the year would always be the same because of persistent visitors to my kitchen window feeder, I've changed the rules up a bit. What I count as my bird of the year is the first bird I see on the first actual birding outing I take each year. In 2017 it was an eastern bluebird, and darn if I didn't see many more of them this year than I ever have before - so many, they were always popping in on me, at home, incidentally while driving about, out on trails. It became so funny to me. Today was an "I'm not leaving the house for anything" sort of day, so no first bird yet. It's funny this thread came up because in an effort to have a new and different first bird this year, I was thinking of asking dh to let me close my eyes while he drove me out to some random location, and having a "big reveal" sort of game this year. Might actually do that tomorrow! Whatever your bird of the year, I challenge you to learn all you can about it! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Oh, if you really want to be a Citizen Scientist with your birding, I encourage you to look at ebird.org. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Not counting the chickens... We had two cardinals (female birds), a drab little field sparrow and a goldfinch that was washed out and didn't look like a goldfinch. Maybe this means our year will be colorless? :laugh: Your goldie wears nonbreeding plumage in the winter. Things should brighten up considerably come spring. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Robin. We kept seeing robins in a tree in our front yard today. I usually see them on the ground. Love this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 I predicted it. Oregon Junco it is. I don't know how to translate that into a prediction about the year, though. We usually have lots of dark-eyed juncos in the winter, but I've only seen a handful so far. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 We usually have lots of dark-eyed juncos in the winter, but I've only seen a handful so far. A dear friend (and avid birder) claims it snows whenever she sees dark-eyed juncos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 A dear friend (and avid birder) claims it snows whenever she sees dark-eyed juncos. My kids are ready for snow. I love a snow day if we don't have to miss church. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMS83 Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Red Winged Blackbirds for us! A couple hundred of them visited our yard for a snack. Unfortunately the dog got out and chased them away. I'm pretty sure that's the most we've seen at one time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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