My contribution to this year’s Great Backyard Bird Count could hardly be considered such. Great, that is. My “backyard” for the first three days of the four-day count period was the view outside my Bronx apartment window. This vantage is hardly as desolate as you might think. My Bronx backyard bird list currently boasts 36 species, a number which would surely be higher if I overlooked more trees and less construction. In this context, it’s easy to see why my 2007 GBBC tally is such a disappointment. Here are the high species counts for all three Bronx days:
Red-tailed Hawk   1
Bald Eagle   1
Herring Gull   4
Rock Pigeon   29
European Starling   32
Blue Jay   1
House Sparrow   6
Days later, my finches, kestrels and mockingbirds came out of the woodwork, but when I needed them, they were nowhere to be found. That mature Bald Eagle was pretty cool though!
My fourth day of bird counting took place far from the warmth of my apartment, but the species diversity certainly put the sparse list above to shame. If you haven’t already read the account of my Long Island birding excursions here and here, take a look to see what I mean.
That is still better than what I managed from my apartment window. I think I might see more hawks if I lived on a higher floor.