A total of 72 birds identified in one hour in village center

By Kelly Kandra Hughes

A few minutes before nine o’clock in the morning on Feb. 18, lifelong birder and Norfolk resident Ayreslea Denny discussed with Shelley Harms, co-president of the Norfolk Land Trust, if she should get out her telescope to observe birds down in City Meadow. The morning was bitterly cold and a strong wind whipped through Robertson Plaza. Denny and Harms were there to participate as citizen scientists in the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), an annual event every February where people watch, identify, and count birds in their local areas, then submit the data through an online platform or app. 

After a brief discussion, Denny decided, “it’s just too cold!” Instead, they stood their ground and waited to see if anyone else would show up for the bird count. This particular location for the GBBC had been planned as a joint program of the Norfolk Library, the Norfolk Land Trust, and the Norfolk Church of Christ Green Team. Eventually, a group of thirteen people, ranging from toddler age to senior citizen, gathered. They were bundled up with gloves, hats, scarves, and binoculars. “What a marvelous turnout,” said Hartley Mead, Norfolk Land Trust member. 

The first official sighting by the group was a common raven, followed by two Eastern bluebirds that flew south out of City Meadow. Song sparrows could be heard singing to each other, with Harms remarking that this was the earliest she could recall ever hearing them sing.

Unfortunately, the wind continued to be brutal and the group’s location at the stone wall overlooking the meadow or “wetlands,” as Denny said would be a more appropriate name, exposed them to the brunt of it. The birders decided to move to lower ground, only to be thwarted by a locked gate on the staircase from Robertson Plaza down to City Meadow. “Well, that’s a kick in the pants,” said one group member. 

Not to be deterred, the group made their way to the sidewalk on Rt. 44 to reach City Meadow by another means. On their way, they spotted a downy woodpecker across the street and a few tufted titmice in some brush. 

Once on the boardwalk of City Meadow, the GBBC group viewed a Baltimore oriole nest hanging from one of the taller trees. The nest contained a significant amount of plastic, which according to the Ethical Birder website is not uncommon for orioles. As the group made their way to the observation platform, a flight of mourning doves took off from among the cattails. Quick counting led to an estimate of 21 doves sighted, with several remaining behind as they settled high onto some tree branches. 

After about twenty minutes, the group exited the City Meadow boardwalk to return to Robertson Plaza via Shepard Rd. They were delighted by spotting some chickadees, juncos, and robins. Altogether, the group identified 11 species and counted 72 birds: 21 mourning doves, two downy woodpeckers, one common raven, four black-capped chickadees, nine tufted titmice, two white-breasted nuthatches, five European starling, two Eastern bluebirds, 10 American robins, 14 dark-eyed juncos and two song sparrows. “It really turned out well,” said Denny. “Such a cold day, too.”

Once the program ended, Harms entered their official tally into the eBird app, also logging the details of the group: 13 people for one hour of counting, over the course of half a mile. Although there is no official bird count in the summer, the group decided it would be fun to do another bird walk during warmer months. Denny suggested June would be a good time for nesting. Another avid birder in the group, Laurie Foulke-Green, mentioned that warblers would be out the second week in May. Someone else in the group suggested that maybe they could do a bird walk for both. “That would be fun!” said Denny, who added that other good bird walks are at dusk for woodcocks in April and owlings at night in the spring and summer.