Our backyards are full of birds that look a little different this time of year: It’s time for the fledglings to leave the nest. Fledglings are learning to be out on their own, under the careful watch of their parents. You might even see a parent feed a fledgling a seed from the feeder. Some… Read more »
So, you’re walking along, you glance down, and there it is, a gift from nature: a feather. On occasion its source is obvious—if it’s winter in the Midwest and the feather is reddish, it’s from a cardinal. Often, though, the feathers we find are harder to identify. If you have a smartphone or camera with… Read more »
Within the first few minutes of my first conversation with Chris Brinkman, any reservations I had based on his bulky camera equipment in close proximity to “my” owls quickly faded. It was clear that he had authored the appeal to let the newly fledged owls be. As he explained, it’s not uncommon for people who notice baby… Read more »
’Tis the season for hummingbirds! Hanging a hummingbird feeder in your backyard? The recipe below will produce a solution that matches the sucrose content of natural flower nectar. Make sure to use white table sugar. Other sweeteners such as molasses or honey may spoil quickly and may not be good for hummingbirds to consume. Ingredients… Read more »
I am thrilled and humbled whenever I am able to provide some insight to concerned neighbors who want to do right by wildlife. It doesn’t hurt to consult with those who are much more knowledgeable than I about these matters—and I nearly always do when called upon for advice. “There’s a young bird that landed… Read more »
Like many of you, I’ve been marveling at the number of “pretty birds” coming through our backyards—grosbeaks, orioles, tanagers, and the like. My social media feeds are just full of amazingly colorful pictures! Many times in the past several weeks I have celebrated the timing of this seemingly banner year of bright and beautiful visitors… Read more »
Discovering a nest is, for me at least, a mixed bag. My instantaneous reaction is excitement—Wow! This is so cool! I can’t wait to watch this unfold!—followed almost immediately by what I know to be the overwhelming odds facing the nesting pair, to say nothing of the incoming brood. In spring of 2019, this played… Read more »
I have several birding apps on my phone, but there is only one that I really use, and I use it almost daily during the spring: the Merlin Bird ID app, produced by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I sing its praises whenever I get the opportunity, especially to new birders, especially to young birders…. Read more »
Lately my Facebook feed has been chock full of orioles—everyone seems to have them! And not just one, but several orioles… one person reported having a dozen at their feeders this week! Orioles eating oranges, orioles eating grape jelly, even one adorable oriole peering in someone’s window seemingly looking for someone to supply more oranges… Read more »
One of my favorite perks of my job is that I get a fairly steady stream of texts, emails, and DMs asking for help identifying a bird. Most of the time I even know the answer! What tickles me most about this is who is doing the asking—friends from all areas of my life, often… Read more »
