How many birds was that?

You certainly don’t see every single bird that visits your yard, so how do you get a rough headcount? Or how do you authoritatively tell a friend there were xxx birds in your yard? Experts disagree on details, but they’re in the same ballpark.

Count the birds you see in your yard in a typical ten second span (count those at your feeders, flying nearby and those just watching). Multiply that number by 5 or 6 (that’s where they disagree) for a very approximate number of birds who look to your yard for support.

cold facts about shivering        Birds shiver in cold weather, just like we do.  Every bird in the world does it to keep warm. Shivering keeps the core body temperature where it needs to be (106-109 degrees for birds). That could mean a difference of 100 degrees from the outside temp to the inside of a bird.

OWEN YOST, in addition to being a blogger, is a licensed Landscape Architect emeritus who has lived and worked in north Texas for over 30 years. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), International Federation of Landscape Architects, National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. His office is at Yost87@charter.net in Denton.