On what was not a good day to be a bird…
Once again, this was the weekend for Cornell’s Great Backyard Bird Count. What a difference a year makes…
Last year, the Sunday of the count was a February-dream-come-true: blue sky, sunshine, an early robin and lots of other birds soaking up the day. This year, swirling snow and icy temperatures equaled: bird scarcity. The birds proved to be a more intelligent life form than me – they stayed out of the blowing cold — and I, too, retreated after a couple of hours.
The sightings:
A lone eider duck bobbing on the Sheepscot River at the mouth of McCarty Cove;
Three crows fleeing the feeders when psycho-puppy bounded across the backyard snow;
A dark-eyed junco at the thistle feeder;
A mourning dove taking refuge on and under the deck; and
A blue jay working the feeders.
