Counting X's and Counting Birds

Design - "Pink Heart"

Designer - Heart in Hand

Fabric - 32 count Clay Belfast linen

Fibers - WDW & GAST - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 9 February 2016

Completed - 15 February 2016 

I'm pretty pleased with this little pink heart.  I don't think I'd ever design one with black / brown accents, but the colors work well together.

And now on to the final tally for the Great Backyard Bird Count 2016.

I began taking part in the count in 2012. Each year has had a bird or two that I've not had all years.  One year I had a large group of Evening Grosbeaks in February.  In 2013 I had a Golden-crowned Kinglet, White-crowned Sparrows, and a Varied Thrush.  In 2014 I had a very early sighting of a Band-tailed Pigeon. In 2015 I was fortunate to see a flock of Sandhill Cranes fly overhead - that was amazing! 

So this year I had 34 species - most of which I saw. Five were by ear only - the Varied Thrush, Pileated Woodpecker, Evening Grosbeak, Red-breasted Sapsucker, and Great Horned Owl. All five have very unique songs or calls, and I am confident I heard the birds, though I did not see them.

I counted Red-shafted Northern Flickers...

and a Downy Woodpecker...

and Hairy Woodpeckers.

I counted House Finches...

and Anna's Hummingbirds...

and Spotted Towhees.

The California Quail were well represented... 

as were the Steller's Jays...

and the Scrub Jays.

I was pleased to have a White-Throated Sparrow - a new bird for this year's count.

I had a nice group of Mourning Doves.

 

On a walk back from the Dahlia Garden, I was able to count several Bushtits...

and a group of several Ruby-crowned Kinglets - also new birds for this year.

Here's a recap of the 34 species with the largest number viewed over the four day period:

• 02 Mallards
• 38 California Quail
• 01 Sharp-shinned Hawk
• 01 Cooper's Hawk
• 02 Red-tailed Hawk
• 07 Mourning Doves
• 01 Great Horned Owl (heard it)
• 03 Anna's Hummingbirds
• 02 Acorn Woodpeckers
• 01 Red-breasted Sapsucker (heard it)
• 01 Downy Woodpecker
• 02 Hairy Woodpeckers
• 02 Red-Shafted Northern Flickers
• 01 Pileated Woodpecker (heard it)
• 09 Steller's Jays
• 03 Scrub Jays
• 135 American Crows (flying overhead)
• 04 Black-capped Chickadees
• 02 Chestnut-backed Chickadees
• 01 Red-breasted Nuthatch
• 01 Varied Thrush
• 05 American Robins
• 08 European Starlings
• 03 Fox Sparrows
• 25 Dark-eyed Oregon Juncos
• 12 Golden-crowned Sparrows
• 01 White-throated Sparrow
• 04 Song Sparrows
• 08 Spotted Towhees
• 14 House Finches
• 35 Pine Siskins
• 01 Evening Grosbeak (heard it)
• 08 Bushtits
• 05 Ruby-crowned Kinglets