The Great Backyard Bird Count has unveiled a new species of bird. Among the communal Floyd birds we have found a mimic bird with the same grey head and rainbow plumage but a different mating song altogether. It wasn’t until volunteer counters in dense woods discovered the modern oddity in its natural state. Normally, this Electric Rainbow Bird infiltrates the communal nest of the Floyd bird to receive protection from the elements and gain prime feeding grounds.

The Great Backyard Bird Count is a free and fun way to take part in an on-going bird count every president’s day weekend (February 13-16) in North America. By February, the weather has driven the birds to desperation. After I refill my bird feeder, the feeder is covered with swarms of different birds before I can get back inside my house. I watch the birds from inside my warm apartment. The results can be e-mailed in. Birders can check everybody’s combined results on tailored maps for a period of years. Now the average citizen can help build a historical data base which scientists can make use of. Each year, there are some target objectives to better help ornithologists study bird behavior and ranges. I can think of nothing more relaxing or rewarding than bird watching. Here is the link to the web site http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/toc_page.html

Here is an example of my report last year:

06:00 – 06:29 AM Too cold, no birds.

06:30 – 06:59 AM Too much snow, no birds.

07:00 – 07:29 AM Great Wicked Witch Hawk sitting on feeder, no other birds.

07:30 – 07:59 AM Run out to community nest box I put next to feeder. I reach into the box and pull out the birds to count. The Floyd rainbow birds have wedged themselves in the nest box so I have to tear the whole thing apart. I am trying to find the rare ELO mimic bird living in the same box for protection. They have been flying all around, everyday except for today. I am going to count that ELO bird this year if it is the last thing I do. The ding-dong birds look too much alike, but fortunately I get a close look as I rip each bird out of the nest. The feisty birds cling to the sticks, squawking. Bird feathers are flying everywhere. Rainbow birds scatter, Hawk attacking, birdseed spraying everywhere.

08:00 – 08:29 AM Too cold, no birds.