New Year's Day Walk -- Birds and a Snowy Sunset.

Time to reflect on the year past and muse about the new year. What better place to do that than outside in nature. 22 degrees F, snow, and a brilliant sunset made it memorable. Nature is a good friend.

• Best birds I saw in during my walk here in Kansas City near the Missouri River were a YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER hanging out halfway up a tall Cottonwood by the river and several HARRIS'S SPARROWS mixed in with a flock of Dark-eyed JUNCOS.
• Saw/heard 15 different species to kick off the year in about an hour. Far cry from New Year's Days past when I'd go out for a half-day and see/hear 50+ species. :)
• Started my 2013 year bird list today at home and added to it on the walk. As any good birder will do, I like to note firsts on New Year's Day. My first bird of the year (seen) was a Dark-eyed Junco and my first bird of the year (heard) was the ubiquitous House Sparrow.

Flickr PhotoSet: A crisp and snowy New Year's Day Walk.

Below are the records I put into eBird.

• eBird is a tool anyone can use, including kids at school. Citizen Science. You share your sightings with scientists and eBird keeps, organizes all your data for you. Win-win.

eBird.org WEEK REPORT:  Species Totals Report Details Date range: Jan 1, 2013 - Jan 7, 2013 Total # of Species: 15 Total # of Checklists: 3 Location(s):   English Landing Park (MO River); Prairie Point area; White Alloe Creek CA

Summary Jan 1 Jan 2 Jan 3 Jan 4 Jan 5 Jan 6 Jan 7 Number of Species 15 -- -- -- -- -- -- Number of Individuals 276 -- -- -- -- -- -- Number of Checklists 3 -- -- -- -- -- -- Total Number of Birds   (sample size) Species Name Jan 1 Jan 2 Jan 3 Jan 4 Jan 5 Jan 6 Jan 7 Canada Goose 122 (3) -- -- -- -- -- -- Red-tailed Hawk 1 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Downy Woodpecker 2 (2) -- -- -- -- -- -- Blue Jay 3 (2) -- -- -- -- -- -- American Crow 3 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Black-capped Chickadee 6 (3) -- -- -- -- -- -- Tufted Titmouse 2 (2) -- -- -- -- -- -- American Robin 48 (3) -- -- -- -- -- -- European Starling 21 (2) -- -- -- -- -- -- Harris's Sparrow 3 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- Dark-eyed Junco 42 (2) -- -- -- -- -- -- Northern Cardinal 3 (2) -- -- -- -- -- -- Red-winged Blackbird 2 (1) -- -- -- -- -- -- House Sparrow 17 (2) -- -- -- -- -- --

Here is a short video of some semi-distant JUNCOS both on the snow and flying up into the short trees. It was just me, the cold, the snow and a nice-sized flock of juncos. Peaceful and awesome to be a part of their day. Listen to their twittering little song/calls.

Happy New Year everyone!