GBBC 2011, The Olive Plants' 2nd Report

We drove around our neighborhood today for about an hour and then took lunch to a picnic area near the lake.  We have an expansive lake in our county, so there are many parks, picnic areas and campgrounds.    It was a gorgeous day, the first pretty Saturday we've had in many weeks. 

Our neighborhood is located in downtown.  We are on a main street, and there is a small neighborhood that backs up to our house.  Most of the houses in that circle have multiple feeders and there are a variety of mature trees.  We watched our feeders for about half an hour and then drove around the circle, pulling over to the side of the road from time to time for a better look.  The neighborhood backs up to a park and outdoor athletic complex where there are mature trees and a pond.  We drove through the complex, stopping at the pond for a closer look.  Here is what we saw or heard:

• 1 chickadee
• 4 blue jays
• 5 northern cardinals
• 1 yellow-rumped warbler
• 6 mockingbirds
• 7 mourning doves
• 2 tufted titmice
• 2 brown-headed nuthatches
• 100 (at least, we did our best to get an accurate count but must estimate due to the overwhelming quantity and movement) red-winged blackbirds
• 3 worm-eating warblers
• 125 (again estimating; the trees and lawns were covered) American robins
• 100 + grackles
• 100 + European starlings
• 4 brown thrashers
• 15 cedar waxwings
• 3 eastern bluebirds
• 5 black vultures
• 1 house finch
• 1 Tennessee warbler
• 1 chipping sparrow
• 1 pine warbler
• 1 red-tailed hawk
• 9 American Crows
• 3 Canada geese
• 2 turkey vultures
• 4 house sparrows

The picnic area near the lake is forested, mostly pines.  Here is what we saw or heard there:

• 4 American Crows
• 3 fish crows
• 4 brown-headed nuthatches
• 2 tufted titmice
• 1 belted kingfisher
• 3 eastern bluebirds
• 1 great blue heron
• 1 red-tailed hawk
• 1 eastern towhee
• 4 Carolina chickadees
• 3 pine warblers
• 1 downy woodpecker
• 1 muscovey duck
• 3 mallards
• 5 snow geese
• 1 ring-billed gull

We drove through a new, in-town subdivision to find the house where my husband will tutor this week.  It is in town but forested, mostly pines.  Here is what we saw or heard there:

• 1 eastern towhee
• 3 song sparrows
• 1 robin

Before returning home, we stopped at Kroger.  It is located along a major highway.  While there we saw:

• 3 American crows
• 1 rock pigeon

That is all we feel like accomplishing today.  I have ginger tea brewing for our coughs, and we're about to take some meds and dream about birds instead of seek them.  Nightie, night.  Lord willing, we will be better by Monday.  It is our plan to end our birding weekend with a bang at one of the prime birding locations in our state.  Please pray for our health.

Please, do tell what you are seeing.  I really want to read your reports!  If you are posting about what you are finding, leave a link in comments.  When I sleep off the decongestant, I will hop on over and read about your day!

Happy Birding!
Dawn