Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Calling All Birds and Bird Watchers

Design - "Robin Snow Globe"
Chart - "Hiver"
Designer - Madame Chantilly
Fabric - 32 cnt R & R Foglifter linen
Fibers - DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads
Started - 8 February 2014
Completed - 9 February 2014

A couple of days ago I posted a 'tease' start photo of the above stitch. I thought it was amusing to stitching a snow globe while it was snowing outside!  I also decided that as the Great Backyard Bird Count starts on Friday, stitching a bird or two would be apropos. And this turns out to be a perfect memento of my UK 2013 trip.

Robin in the Temperate Glass House at Kew 
One of my true delights during my travels was seeing English Robins like the one above.

This year the Great Backyard Bird Count runs from Friday the 14th of February through Monday the 17th of February. And while I will not see any English Robins, I will probably be able to tally any number of American Robins. This will be my 4th year as a participant.

 I encourage everyone to pop over to the website and take a look. Whether you live in the city, the suburbs, or the country - any where in the world - you can participate.  You can observe the birds in your backyard, at local park or arboretum, on your walk to work. All it requires is one period of at least 15 minutes of avian observation.  You can send in observation tallies for one day, two days, three days, or all four days as your schedule and interest allows. There is a super explanatory video as well as a step by step guide.

Let me reassure you that you do not have to be an expert birder to take part.  After entering your address you will get a list of "likely birds" to help with identification.  You then watch for at least 15 minutes noting the highest number of each kind of bird you see during that time.  For example if during a 30 minute period I see 8 Robins, then later 12 Robins, and later still 15 Robins, I would note 15 Robins in my tally (not 35!). I know that three or four Followers intend to take part - give it a try!

Here's a recipe for chasing away the Winter Blues!

Head to a local plant nursery and marvel at all the primroses!

Ah primroses...

and hellebores...

and witch hazels...

and English daisies...

and anemones...

and violas!

Isn't that a recipe for Spring?

14 comments:

Vickie said...

That is the perfect little stitch that goes with your picture of the robin in England.
Yes! The flowers are fantastic.

Ann at Beadlework. said...

Robins really are special little birds. I did a double take when I first saw the photo and then read your comments!! We usually have them visit our garden every year, they can be quite territorial wee birds.

Chris said...

Sweet finish Beth! I am looking forward to your results of the birdcount this year.

Bianca said...

I absolutely adore this design, not to mention the fact that it is perfect for your blog :)

Shebafudge said...

What a gorgeous design! Such a cute finish. I love robins but sadly we don't get many here.

Pam in IL said...

Such a cute little bird in the snowglobe! I'm looking forward to the GBBC again this year. Beautiful flowers! I wish there was a place around here where I could go and see flowers like that.

Maggee said...

What a cute little pattern/finish! Very apropos for remembering your visit to England! Boy, the English robins are SO much brighter than ours here! Wow! Not sure if I will do the count, as there are not very many birds around here... we will see! Hugs!

Margaret said...

Nice stitch! Good luck with the bird watching -- hope you record lots of different birds. How refreshing to see flowers! With this snow storm coming, I'm wishing I could see some outside in the ground growing. lol!

Carol said...

Oh, that snowglobe robin is precious! They are so much cuter than our robins, aren't they?

Those lovely flowers helped--a bit!! This winter sure hasn't been kind to us in the east!

Catherine said...

Oh, your flower photos brought a smile to my face and some sunshine into yet another cloudy day!

Andrea said...

Your snowglobe finish is perfect for this time of year.

Anne said...

Adorable little red robin in a globe! I love the real robin too!! Beautiful flowers!!

Melody said...

What a sweet little robin in the globe! Also your English robin in the picture is wonderful as well. Good luck on your bird count.

Melanie said...

Very cute finish! I love her little snow globe patterns. I think I even own one. Or two. (Lord. I can't remember. That's surely a sign of something.........not good.)

The flowers are great to see, too. :)