Birds of Christmas 2008

Caption: Female Northern Cardinal, by Henry McLin, as posted at Flickr.

Today was a day spent visiting with friends and family. But between the social events, I managed to keep an eye out for the birds. Here’s a list of the 17 species seen or heard in or from the yard on this lovely Christmas Day:

Ring-billed Gull – 1 adult flying over the house enroute to the landfill

Mourning Dove – 4 at the feeders

Great Horned Owl – a distant bird heard calling at about 7:00 AM

Downy Woodpecker – 2 at feeders

Blue Jay – 2 birds heard

Black-capped Chickadee – 2 birds arguing over sunflower seeds

Tufted Titmouse – 1 at the bird bath and later the feeders

White-breasted Nuthatch – 1 bird at suet feeder

American Tree Sparrow – half a dozen birds at feeders

White-throated Sparrow – 1 immature below feeders

Dark-eyed Junco – dozens of birds at the feeders

Northern Cardinal – 2 females

Purple Finch – 1 female at feeders

House Finch – half a dozen birds at feeders

Pine Siskin – several dozen birds at feeders

American Goldfinch – several dozen birds at feeders

House Sparrow – 5 birds