______________________________________________________________________About 1 week ago, we had a dozen Canada geese on the small retention pond next to our house. While we do have a pair nest on this pond every year and a few use it occasionally throughout the year, we have never seen this many at once (we have been here 11 hears) and never a large group this early in the year. I believe 8 was our previous high count, occurring during March migration. I also heard a woodpecker doing courtship drumming in the first few days of Feb. That seemed unusually early to me.Regarding diversity, we have experienced the same variety of species this winter as we have previous years, but I think some of them have not appeared in as great a number, particularly juncos. But that is likely because not as many migrated south in this mild winter. Goldfinch & House Finch numbers have also been down. On the other hand, Hairy Woodpeckers are back. When we 1st moved here we would see a pair occasionally---maybe once or twice a week. But after just a few years (about 5?), we didn't see them at all for several more years. This winter we have seen at least 2 males & 2 females and almost on a daily basis. We have 11 species seen regularly year round, with 3 or more additions seem most winters and 4 or more in summer. I think that is pretty good diversity for small town/suburb type habitat. The small pond & a wooded area help.A few days ago, a friend asked me why have all the birds disappeared from his feeders lately. My reply was it could be 1, several or all of many reasons: climate change (in this case, a catch-all phrase that explains the overall warm winter with little snow cover that has enabled birds to continue to find seeds, berries & insects); habitat change (as in, some thing or things have changed in his neighborhood that he is perhaps unaware of, ie neighbors cutting down or planting trees, etc or a field being developed; normal wanderings of birds; population declines. All of these things, and more, are constantly affecting when & why birds move from 1 feeding area to another--something that those of us with bird feeders regularly notice but seldom understand. Wouldn't it be great if there was some kind of program that we could use to help us identify these movements & gain some understanding? Something that EVERYONE could participate in? Oh wait! There is! The GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT. It is happening this coming Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon. So count the birds, enter the data into e-Bird and help scientists figure out what is going on here in Ohio & around the world. But don't stop with the GBBC; enter your feeder data into e-Bird on a regular basis, year round. That will really help you & others see what is occurring with bird populations.Laura DornanStark CountyOhio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
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Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]