Yard list: Nov 2012

As winter descends on Fun Birding Towers, the opportunity for new yard birds is decreasing, and I only added two new birds in November. However, that did bring the yard list up to the magic 80 species mark, which was my revised end-of-year goal (up from the 60 I’d set myself when I moved in).

One of new birds was expected: SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, which has arrived for the winter and will be terrorizing the feeder birds until the spring. At least two different individuals have appeared, a juvenile and a sharp looking little adult male (see this later post for more…)

The other new yard bird was a species I’d hoped to get one day, but wasn’t sure if I would, so I was especially pleased when a gorgeous male LAWRENCE’S GOLDFINCH appeared at the pond. It returned a couple of days later. On both occasions it was only interested in getting a drink and ignored the dozen or so feeding LESSER GOLDFINCHES, which are omnipresent around the feeders a few feet away. Lawrence’s Goldfinches are not noted for their feeder patronage, so this wasn’t a big surprise.

It taught me that it’s important to keep an eye on the pond as not everything comes for the food.