Data Entry Contest: What Have You Witnessed At Your Feeder?
For the seventh season in a row, Project FeederWatch and our sponsor Wild Birds Unlimited are rewarding registered FeederWatchers with the chance to win prizes. This year, Celestron is joining the fun and offering one pair of binoculars to each data entry contest winner as well. After entering bird counts (data) into the FeederWatch website, participants have the opportunity to share a story, memory, or tip by clicking the “Enter to Win” button on the Count Summary page. We randomly select two winners per prompt. Our first Data Entry contest prompt this season was:
Regularly watching your feeder area gives you a greater chance at witnessing an incredible event! Tell us about a memorable moment that occurred near or at your feeders.
Congratulations to our winners, Lisa Meacham and Debi Blankenship!
Lisa shared:
I was thrilled to see a Brown Creeper on the most recent Project FeederWatch count period. It’s only the third time I have ever seen one in my yard and the first time since 2012. It hitched its way up my oak trees in its characteristic fashion, and it returned several times throughout the day. What a treat!
While they mostly eat insects, Brown Creepers may visit feeder setups offering suet, peanut hearts, hulled sunflower seeds, and more. You may see them zigzagging upwards on large, old tree trunks, foraging for food. Wondering what foods will attract what birds to your yard? Check out Project FeederWatch’s Common Feeder Birds Interactive to explore species’ food preferences, feeder type preferences, and more.
Debi shared:
Last year we had so many woodpeckers feeding their babies outside our window, and I was so excited to see three Pileated Woodpeckers back again! The parents have fed their babies regularly the past three years, and the babies return now, along with the parents. Now I’m waiting for the Red-headed Woodpeckers to return too!
If you have dead or dying trees on your property, consider leaving them or leaving tall stumps if it is safe to do so. Dead snags often host a plethora of insect life, and may attract Pileated Woodpeckers (as well as other cavity-nesting birds) as a spot to forage for insects or excavate and build their nests in the softening wood. You can also attract birds to nest by installing a nest box. Visit Cornell’s NestWatch website to download free nest box construction plans.
Thanks to everyone who participated and shared their stories – we wish we could share all of your submissions! Read the stories from past winners on our blog. Email feederwatch@cornell.edu with questions. Stay tuned for when we announce our next data entry contest winners on January 10th, 2023.
Interested in becoming a FeederWatcher? Join the fun now!
10 comments on “Data Entry Contest: What Have You Witnessed At Your Feeder?”
Watching my feeders one day I had a male and female cardinals eating sunflower seed. When another female cardinal landed on the roof of feeder, and she was not happy. The male cardinal looked up and saw the the female which had the Angry bird luck. I kid you not the male took two steps to his left leaving a gap between him and other female, the female on roof jumped down between them spread her wings and pecked the female which flew off. Then turned and gave the male a few pecks, boy was he in trouble.
I can’t find the backyard bird counter form or the list and pics of birds in my area.
I do not have a computer and ask if you could please send these to me ?
I just joined the 18$ member this morning but couldn’t find way to contact there
Hello Jeanne, please email our team at feederwatch@cornell.edu with any questions.
A Cooper’s hawk swooped in and tried to pick off a Mourning Dove perched on a fence. This was one of 10 doves that like to pick dropped seeds from the feeders. Fortunately for the dove, it flew up, almost vertically, and the hawk missed. The hawk perched on a dogwood branch and looked around at the now empty backyard.
We lived in SW Missouri years ago; our kids loved watching birds at our feeders near our backyard pin oak trees.
One morning we saw a hawk had chased away alomst all birds, but one. The hawk (sharp shinned) caught the one bird, ate some of it and then impaled it on a branch of the closest pin oak. Being a cold winter day, the half eaten bird frozen in place. Later that day, we noticed the hawk was back for more of a snack. The kids loved it! It was so close to our window they had a great view. All 3 kids are adults growing up their families and have feeders at each home. We participated in Project Feeder Watch many seasons and the excitment of watching hawks and later eagles still prevails in our families.
Our DAR Group has entered Bird Count in past years but there was never a charge. Now I keep seeing a membership charge in order to enter data. Is this new or is this a different site. They sent me a reminder this year so I assume it is the same bird count organization. I would like to know so I can share the information with our group. Thank you.
Hello Carmen. Thank you for reaching out. The website you are currently on is Project FeederWatch, and we have always charged a fee for membership. You are most likely thinking of the Great Backyard Bird Count. GBBC is run by Cornell as well, but they are a free, separate program. Here is their webpage: https://www.birdcount.org/
We have a bluebox house that for 3 yrs has had a nesting pair. We live in SC low country. They’re always there but we never see babies. In November I clean out the box and there is always 4 eggs never hatched. They stay here for months. Any ideas????
Hello Stu, thank you for reaching out! I’m sorry to hear that your Eastern Bluebird nestbox keeps failing. Check out this great FAQ from NestWatch that suggest some possible reasons for why it may be happening: https://nestwatch.org/learn/how-to-nestwatch/faqs/i-checked-my-nest-box-and-found-dead-babies-why/
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