Field Sparrow
Mocksville, NC
Jan. 2016
click to enlarge

I’m not sure if my backyard really qualifies as a “Trip Report” but I told myself that I needed to post more regularly in 2016. Despite the drizzle I spent half an hour around the house searching for the smaller birds I usually neglect. The larger birds (and mammals) are always easier to find, observe and photograph. So, in 2016 my goal is to challenge myself to look more for the smaller birds, and especially looking for migrant warblers in the spring and fall. The drizzle made me very aware of my camera’s exposure to the elements. Since I will pay off my new camera and lens (Canon 70D with used Canon 100-400) in February I may also need to invest in some weather-proofing. I’ll put that on my to-do list for the spring.

So, out in the drizzle I was able to hear a lot of activity. With the help of the app Larkwire (iPhone version) I am working on birding by ear. I  easily recognized the “regulars” such as the Northern Cardinal and Carolina Wren.  In total I saw 14 species with larger quantities of White-throated Sparrows and Northern Cardinals.

Trip List:
(Going forward I would like to keep a running tally of the species I see this calendar year. That is why only a few of the species in the list are numbered.)

Turkey Vulture 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
24. Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
25. Blue Jay 1
Tufted Titmouse 1
26. Carolina Wren 1 (heard only)
27. Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
                 I still haven’t seen a kinglet’s crown yet!!
American Robin 5
28. Field Sparrow 4
White-throated Sparrow 6
Song Sparrow 4
Eastern Towhee 3
29. Northern Cardinal 7