Some mid-winter backyard feeder birds

For the first time, we're participating in Project Feeder Watch. If you don't already know, this citizen science initiative monitors trends in the populations of North American birds visiting feeders during each winter season. It's administered by the Cornell lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada.

Accordingly, we've been counting the visitors to our feeders at fortnightly intervals.

[click on images to enlarge]

Regulars at our feeders these days include up to six Mourning Doves, scores of Common and Hoary Redpolls, a few dozen Pine Grosbeaks, a dozen or so European Starlings, a Pileated and two or three each of Downy and Hairy Woodpecker, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, a few Gray Jays and Common Ravens, a few pairs of Black-capped Chickadees and an occasional Boreal Chickadee, four-to-six Northern Cardinals, two Dark-eyed Juncos and an irregular Brown-headed Cowbird.

I was surprised to find a female House Sparrow visiting a feeder in nearby Heron Bay a few days ago. Believe it or not they, like Rock Pigeons, are scarce in these parts.