Counting birds along my walk

I participated in the global Great Backyard Bird Count last weekend, walking about a mile in my northwest Fresno neighborhood for about a half hour in the late afternoon.

I spotted and reported 20 chirping sparrows (a high number because of the many trees on one street), 15 northern mockingbirds, 13 mourning doves, six Steller’s jays, three American robins and two hummingbirds. I never would have noticed so many species if I hadn’t been inspired by Debbie Arrington’s article in the Home & Garden section of Feb. 11.

Will I add birding to my hobbies? No, but it was fun, informative and a great addition to my daily walk.

This story was originally published February 17, 2016 at 6:51 AM with the headline "Counting birds along my walk."