Last week, several members of the Bird Watcher’s Digest staff headed to the shores of Lake Erie to spend a few days birding at the famed Magee Marsh and Maumee Bay State Park, in search of fall warblers and other migrants. Our advertising partner Neff Brothers graciously provided us with an RV to use, which… Read more »
Every story has a beginning. Bird Watcher’s Digest’s story begins with a woman named Pat Murphy. Pat was an experienced birder and a nature columnist for the Marietta Times newspaper. She eventually served as Bird Watcher’s Digest’s associate editor and as a columnist, and she was the leader of the local women’s birding club, the Betsey Birders. The… Read more »
BWD Editor Dawn Hewitt and Production Director Bruce Wunderlich tested out a two different squirrel-proof feeders. Here are their reviews. Dawn My yard is rich with squirrels. I have used two Brome squirrel-proof tube feeders for several years—a SquirrelBuster Plus and a SquirrelBuster Peanut Feeder—and they have proven true to their claims. I have enjoyed… Read more »
Bird Watcher’s Digest is joining friends around the world in The Global Bird Weekend, and we’re inviting you to join us, too! WHO IS INVOLVED Tim Appleton of Rutland, England, was the beloved face of the British Birdfair for more than 30 years, and his vision, spirit, and energy inspired its success for decades. Because our world has changed due to COVID-19… Read more »
While a depressing number of birding festivals have been canceled this year, don’t despair—there are several virtual birding festivals occurring this fall that you won’t want to miss. We know of four scheduled in September—including the Puget Sound Bird Fest this weekend!—and another four in October. Check out these links, and register for one today!… Read more »
by Marion & Rich Patterson Sometimes, when one is hustling to get to work or an appointment, a streak of feathery color zips in front of the car and perches in a roadside tree. Or an unusual raptor circles the highway. Perhaps a different-looking duck is cruising the edge of a distant pond. Dedicated bird… Read more »
The evening news seems to be too-regularly reporting another major new wildfire somewhere, each one more horrific than the previous one. Wildfires are devastating, destroying tens or hundreds of thousands of acres, burning countless homes, wiping out entire towns, uprooting and terrorizing families. And they seem to be getting worse and more frequent every year…. Read more »
I didn’t look up right away when I heard the familiar squeaky seal barks off to my right. I was busy muddling my compost bin’s contents and knew that I’d see a red-bellied woodpecker when I managed to tear my eyes away from the earthy mess. Once I finally straightened from my swamp hag stance… Read more »
August is one of the quietest months of the year for birders. I have a handful of regular visitors to the yard—mainly jays, robins, cardinals, song sparrows, and downies, plus an eastern wood pewee somewhere out there calling day in and day out. Always a welcome sight (and sound), but not super exciting. Things will… Read more »
Seven species of woodpeckers reside in Ohio: red-bellied, downy, hairy, pileated, and red-headed woodpeckers; yellow-bellied sapsucker; and northern flicker. Until recently, I checked six of the seven on my backyard list and had photographed them all—all except the red-headed woodpecker. Knowing the preferred habitat of that species, I figured I might never have one visit… Read more »
