Angela, I am always wishing for the spare time to do pictorial books on many subjects related to Cape Cod. Birds, wildlife, stonewalls, old inns and cemeteries come immediately to mind.
Birding here is truly a rewarding pastime. I have been really surprised by how quickly bird populations change here. In the past two years my yard was filled all summer long with large flocks of goldfinches and bluebirds. The bluebirds now winter over in large numbers. This week at work we had a flock of them just outside the window that had to be at least 15 of them all at once. Ten years ago we rarely saw them and usually only for a few weeks while they were passing through to somewhere else.
Claybird, I have never participated in a count but I have read up on it and considered it. I only recently became this interested in seriously stalking our feathered friends. I'm sure that my neighbors consider me "eccentric" by now as I frequently hide in my little hot tub which is 5 feet from my best bird feeders. This in itself isn't so eccentric, it's the Gillgan cap and binoculars that looks odd. I have gotten alot of good close-up photos this way. The birds seem to be attracted to the steamy water and they come very close.
My Backyard Birding Photos