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Audubon Annual Bird Count, Birds of Ecuador's Mangroves, Ecuador Mangroves, frigate, Heron, Ibis, Mangroves, Snowy Egret, Stilt
My Chatty Neighbor Mister Kingfisher!
Each year nature lovers participate in Audubon’s annual Christmas Bird Count. Ecuador again trumped all others last year with a whopping count of 492 species in the Yanayacu area. Mindo Ecuador reported 432 birds, and Costa Rica took third, fourth and fifth places with 382, 378 and 340 counts. See the top tallies for North, South and Central America HERE.
Birds Birds Birds!
I respect all who devote an entire day to counting as many species as possible: I also encourage everyone to keep a pad handy and note the birds one sees from now until January 5th.
Ah, the mangroves provide visual comfort!
So what’s stopping you? Peer out that window and start scribbling and see how many species live in your neighborhood! Challenge your neighbors, your loved ones, especially the youth and direct them to noting the beauty of nature!
Here are some images of my neighbors the birds.
Hey guys! Check out the dame with the white plumas!
Pardon me, but may I have this dance?
(Do I LOOK like I want to dance?)
Geez; I was only trying to friendly!
Every so often a boat zooms through the picture, much to the birds’ distress!
Don’t forget about us over here in the ponds!
http://birds.audubon.org/christmas-bird-count
Happy counting!
Z
Zeebra Designs & Destinations 
I wish I could be in your ponds among the beaked ones ;). In my neighbourhood there are only 4 to 5 different species 😛
It looks like…the right amount of birds…
Lovely post! I participate every year usually, but last year we were in New Zealand. In my garden there are usually about 25-30 species during wintertime, and I live in a villa in a small town with the woods about 500 metres away from our house.
Lucky you! New Zealand was a paradise for birds – and for me!
Confession, Lisa. I lost count! There are some amazing shots here. Have a great Christmas, hon.
Wow, amazing shots, Z!!
We have counting in summer, in about six monts time. Happy counting Z! 🙂
What a great way to spend the Christmas season. Beautiful photos. We have an annual bird count in New Zealand but not at this time of the year. At the moment I am letting my borage run wild and letting other plants go to seed and I am seeing a lot more birds than usual as a result.
The Cranes are absolutely BEAUTIFUL!
Very cool! There are SO many birds here too. Every morning I wake up to all these new bird songs, and I don’t know what they are. A bird book is way up on my list of things I want. Love your pictures. It’s so nice to be close to water and all the wildlife that goes with it.
best blog post ever!
and your post with dave mathews christmas song is THE BEST ever! thanks! z
Nice! How I love the egrets – I miss them. But today I saw a Golden-crowned Kinglet first thing (out the bedroom window, in the company of chickadees and a brown creeper) and later I saw three wild pheasants in a field and a marsh hawk tipping its way over a wet field in search of tasty rodents. Many crows, as always, and two possible Bald Eagles at dusk when it was too dark to see pattern or color. It’s a long time since I did a CBC – like 40 yrs! Still, I’m always watching and appreciating, and I’m glad you are, too.
Wow! What a jackpot of great birds you saw! That’s amazing! I’ve not htought of cute little chickadees in a long time! There’s such cute little puffballs of delicate feathers!
Pause in your counting and have a Merry Christmas!
ja! i did! z
Love these bird shots and I am a big bird lover as well.. I miss seeing the Red Cardinals that used to fly around my favorite tree at my childhood home..No cardinals here in Florida 😦
Where in FL? We lived in Sarasota and had cardinals that visited our yard regularly. Don’t give up! Maybe some will visit you too 🙂
I’m right down the road, Tampa and I see plenty of Bluejays and no Cardinals.. Send a few my way 🙂
Ahh, I’ll have to tell the new owners of our house to have a chat with the birds and send them up your way. We had water lily ponds and lots of fruit trees. I wonder if that made a difference?
the fruit trees make a huge difference, and the water is very important during the dry season!
wow.. we had cardinals in mississippi.. wonder if they’re vanishing?
Amazing! 🙂
Amazing! Truly amazing! You show me a new world…. always! Thanks for that…
That is a wonderland you live in Lisa! Fabulous shots too!
My Father in law used to be a conservator of forests, and thanks to him we could all identify by name, nearly a hundred species! Can barely spot a half dozen in the urban jungle we live in now 😦
what a wonderful legacy to have an expert birder in the family!
my biggest ‘vice’ here on the river is watching the birds instead of working on my paintings!!!!
z
Love the one with the crazy hairdo!