Birds of the Neighborhood (May 21-31, 2002)

The "neighborhood" consists of a 9-block rectangular area (my block plus the surrounding 8 city blocks) in a downtown neighborhood in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. But most of my observations are of birds seen in, or viewed from, my yard, an area just shy of 0.25-acres. The period was relatively mild (except for the last few days, when the thermometer reached the low 90s) and wet. The following list of 19 species is probably fairly typical of what you would expect to see in many older, small-town urban residential areas in the Mid-Atlantic States at this time of the year (species are listed in alphabetical order, with numbers in parentheses indicating the order in which each species was detected, # symbols indicating species new this period, and * symbols indicating species not native to the area):

American Robin (4) - common throughout period; nesting
Blue Jay (9) - several encountered during period; probably nesting
Canada Goose (15) - heard flying over on 5/26
Carolina Wren (5) - fairly common; occupied nest in backyard
Chimney Swift (12) - abundant
Common Grackle (8) - fairly common; presumed nesting
Eastern Wood Pewee# (18) - 1 singing on 5/26
European Starling* (1) - abundant and nesting
Fish Crow (10) - encountered occasionally, with daily maximum of 4 birds
Gray Catbird (13) - fairly common; nesting
House Finch* (3) - abundant and nesting
House Sparrow* (2) - abundant and nesting
House Wren (14) - a few pairs probably present; singing noted occasionally
Mourning Dove (11) - common throughut period; nesting
Northern Cardinal (7) - common throughout period; nesting
Northern Mockingbird (16) - uncommon; a couple of territorial males present
Red-bellied Woodpecker (19) - 1 heard on 5/26
Red-eyed Vireo# (17) - 1 singing on 5/26
Rock Dove* (8) - way too abundant; nesting

Total Species This Period - 19
New Species This Period - 2
Cumulative Species Since 3/11/2002 - 35