Ultimately, this story is about birds. Trust me. For more than a decade I have been a dedicated composter. I don’t let a scrap of food go into the trash or garbage disposal. What doesn’t get eaten has gone into one of my two compost bins. Corn husks and cobs, citrus peels, avocado and peach… Read more »
February 12–14 was a big weekend for Bird Watcher’s Digest as we headed to south-central Indiana to lead our first Reader Rendezvous event in a year! We had a full schedule of birding trips booked in 2020, all canceled from March onward, and we were more than ready to travel again—with several adjustments made, of course, to… Read more »
You may have heard photographers say, “That’s great light.” Or perhaps you have thought: “I think I’ll just stay home today because the light is awful.” Light in winter can be challenging for outdoor photography, and it is a key variable in whether a satisfactory photograph is possible. Light is a basic building block of… Read more »
At the time of this writing, the first purple martins migrating north from their wintering grounds have been spotted on the Gulf Coast. They bring with them the assurance that, in spite of everything, spring is coming soon. Two martins, however, aren’t making the journey. In fact, they’ve been in my kitchen this entire time. … Read more »
I’ve been looking forward to curling up with my laptop and watching Monty and Rose—a short film starring the first pair of piping plovers to nest in Chicago in 64 years—ever since I listened to BWD‘s recent BirdSense podcast interview with filmmaker Bob Dolgan. I finally sat down one snowy afternoon and was immediately whisked away… Read more »
I don’t use my front door very much anymore. Perhaps I’ll pop in and out of it once per day during the workweek. My pale claws might emerge to pull in a parcel on the days some Gift from the Internet arrives. Before the pandemic, I would fill my two clear acrylic stick-on window feeders,… Read more »
The weekend of February 12–15, unleash your inner citizen scientist by joining the Great Backyard Bird Count. Participation can be as simple as spending 15 minutes (or more!) on at least one of the four days observing the birds in your backyard—or anywhere else—and reporting your findings. Participating is simple for birders of all ages… Read more »
With a workweek behind me, I was excited to spend a Saturday with the birds and my camera! It was February, and bird photography in frigid weather has a unique set of challenges to overcome. For starters, dressing in warm layers and wearing warm gloves are essential. As I was preparing to leave the house… Read more »
Whenever I hear there’s a rarity or a vagrant bird nearby, my knee-jerk response is to be anything but intrigued. First and foremost, the likelihood of that bird surviving its having been veered off course from, say, western Europe to Columbus, Ohio, is fairly dismal; the prospect of rushing to look at a bird in peril… Read more »
My eight-year-old son is a rising birder, and he often surprises me with various pieces of bird art he has created. I am curating quite a collection of drawings, sculptures, and paintings! Such was the case recently when he presented me with this canvas of two snowy owls, which blew me away with its attention… Read more »
