Weekly species tally

Bird list for the week of May 14-18, 2012

Mourning Dove

House Finch

Downy Woodpecker

etc

etc

Here's how we keep our weekly tallies at West Campus:

Panel 1

Panel 1 - top, middle and bottom

The bird names stay in place on these glass panels and we mark the day of the week when seen.  Panel one (shown in the three images above) is the regulars, those we're likely to see nearly every day.  We shift to the second panel as more species move through West Campus, and add names in the order of occurrence.  When winter is over, we remove strictly winter birds from the first panel and fill in those gaps with spring and summer birds.

Panel 2

 

Panel 2, top, middle and bottom

 The second panel, shown in the above three images, is a mix from common year-round species (Rock Pigeon) to early spring migrants (Barn Swallow).  Some of the spring species just pass through on migration and are not seen again until fall, so these will be removed from the list in a few weeks time, when the likelihood of seeing them diminishes.

Panel 3

  

Panel 3, top, middle and bottom

As we fill the second panel, we round the corner to the last panel (above three images) which shows only the most recent arrivals - including our first of the year Blackpoll Warbler.

The records I keep here on the blog do not include these daily observations, so these data are lost.  However, the weekly tallies reflect the frequency and duration of our birding outings, inasmuchas we have to be in the right place at the right time.  If we don't get out much, we don't see the birds.  The Blackpoll Warbler might have been out there on Wednesday - and Friday too, but Thursday was the day Lynn was there and saw the bird - so it goes on the list for the week.