I have been participating in several birding related memes for quite sometime. It’s an enjoyable experience and I have made quite a few online friends who have some wonderful blogs. Another aspect of participating is the visitors that memes bring to your blog. I don’t submit my links to raise my “hits”, but since my first meme participation my visitor base has nearly doubled. Not just from Maine, but from all over the world!
The research I have done on the birding related memes has led me to a few conclusions: (not scientific in any sense, but I have been asking questions)
- Most birders only have time to bird on weekends and holidays and post about their outing on Saturday, Sunday or the first one or two days of the week.
- Viewership on this blog and some others that I have surveyed spike between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
- From those surveyed, bloggers post most frequently on Saturday and Sunday evenings.
So where am I going with this? It’s simple. If most birders can only get out to bird watch on weekends and or holidays, then why not have a meme for these weekenders? You may already post to several memes. There’s no rule that says you can’t post a link to various memes.
Beginning this Saturday May 9th, 2009, Wildbird Weekend will be launched. Every Saturday, I will put up the Wildbird Weekend post which will always include a Mr. Linky for all the participants’ links. Note: You’ll have until Wednesday to get your link in. After Wednesday, I close the Linky in order to prevent spam. Please keep the links to posts that are about birding or birding related activities only.
I will host this meme on a trial basis for one month. If after this period of time participation seems to be going well, I will make it permanent. If it’s a disaster, I will take it down for good.
If you get anything out of this, it will be greater visibility for your blog. Leave me a comment if you like this idea and if you may be participating.
Happy birding!
{ 7 comments }
Good luck John! i hope it goes well! ARe those banners up top to put on the blog?
John Briggs Reply:
May 7th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Thanks Dawn!
Yes, use that banner for now. I will make smaller buttons for use soon.
I may be back. I’m going birding this weekend…..
I think another bird meme would be great. Are you thinking about differentiating it in any way (perhaps slightly) from the Bird Photography Weekly? I think I’d like that.
ok, if my teenagers were reading this right now they would probably be rolling their eyes at me…..(they call me technologically challenged)….. but what the heck is a meme??
John, I found your conclusions of your research interesting, particularly the statement that most of us only have time to go birding on the weekends. Well, I think that depends on your definition of what “going birding” is. While I occassionally have the opportunity to hike local trails, those don’t come every weekend ( a pleasure that may have to wait til my own nest is empty!). But does that mean I don’t go birding? Nope. When I’m walking the dog, I don’t mind if he has to stop and sniff and pee every single tree, because while his head is turned down, mine is turned up…. when I’m on my way to work, as I cross the marsh on route 207, I am looking for the sparrow hawk who often is on the telephone line, looking down at the marsh. And of course the egrets and ibis are now there…. and in the last few months both my husband and I have seen a bald eagle. Then when I get to work, many of us have window feeders and have an established group of customers. No exotic species mind you, but they are a cheerful part of our day.
And then when I get home… this time of year gardening chores (pleasures to me) are never ending. Through out my yard and garden spots I have several different feeding stations with different offerings, and birdbaths in different places. Some of the stations and baths are closer to the open, some back in amongst the trees for the comfort of the timider ones. I pull a few weeds, fill a bath, do a litlle edging, replenish some seed….gradually they become accustomed to my continued presence and eat and take their baths within just a few feet of me.
As far as this weekend goes, this morning my patience was at least partially rewarded. I’ve had hummingbird food and oranges out for 2 weeks with no custmers! So this morning I’m on the sunporch with my cup of coffee, folding laundry, and I finally see a little hummer. It’s perched in a small tree, not close enough to see if its a male or female, but its there. Then a little bit later on my daughter calls out to say she sees one in the PJM’s at the front of the house Its gone when I get there.. but at the end of the afternoon, I saw the female at one of the hummer stations out back, and a little later, the male at the station out front. He was feeding quite viorously and seemed undetered by my presence close to the window.
Now that the hummers are here I am hoping those orioles are close behind! But right now its gusting and raining.. not exactly a good night for those migrators Oh well. At least the chipmunk won’t let those oranges go to waste.
I had a Mother’s Day treat in my garden today – a total newcomer – a red bellied woodpecker. I’ve seen just one before – in the Carolinas – so at first I wasn’t sure about what I was seeing. My references list the normal range as being well more southerly than Maine, tho comments made about individuals being seen more frequently in northern states. I think I’ve seen them mentioned on the Maine Audobon site as well.
Great idea John… I am there man! Your photos are excellent by the way! Thanks in advance for starting another birding meme. You know it may take more than a month to get traction. Also thanks for all the good info you posted on birders and our blogging habits. Very interesting.
Count me in from my next post, it will be up this sunday and I will do the necessary linkbacks.
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