’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 »
When you call Redstart Birding to order that shiny new scope you’ve been eyeing (nudge, nudge!), the phone will be answered by a real, live human—and there’s a good chance that human will be Angela. And boy is it your lucky day, because not only does she know her stuff about all the optics and other… Read more »
by Bruce Wunderlich, BWD Production Director In 1978, I worked at the printing company that printed the very first issue of BWD. The printing process has changed so much in the 42 years since I made the printing plates for issue #1. Back then the type was set and pasted up on artboards. Getting everything… Read more »
[Editor’s note: We invited Katie Fallon, author of Vulture: The Private Life of an Unloved Bird, to share her thoughts on the negative attention vultures have received in the news lately. Here is the first of two posts she has graciously provided.] Vultures are not the enemy, despite being portrayed that way in poorly researched… Read more »
Two new hosts join Alvaro and Raymond on our OTWTB podcast: BWD publisher Wendy Clark and BWD editor Dawn Hewitt! In the second part of this two-part episode, they discuss Wendy’s introduction to birding with the sighting of a rare bird at the 2009 Midwest Birding Symposium, the changes in her life (and Bird Watcher’s Digest!) over the past six months, what’s… Read more »
Ben reflects on highlights from the New River Birding and Nature Festival in Fayetteville, West Virginia, an event that was near and dear to Bill Thompson, III. Alvaro discusses the wonders of pelagic birding and provides preliminary results from the 2019 Global Big Day. Finally, changes are in store for Out There with the Birds:… Read more »
This is part one of an exclusive two-part interview with Bill Thompson, III, long-time co-host of Out There With The Birds. On March 25th, Bill passed away at the age of 57 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. Shortly before his passing, Ben took some time to interview Bill about his life as a… Read more »
Alvaro recounts tales from Japan, including fish eagles, fish owls, and talking toilets. Also, the guys discuss the Chilean/Argentinian divide, and geography’s impact on both bird distribution and human culture. The topic turns to the true Zen nature of birding and how it may challenge some of your bird ID assumptions! All this and more… Read more »
Alvaro warns against getting creative when packing for a birding trip. Also, blue jays, green jays, brown jays, and gray jays are all part of the intriguing family of corvids. What makes these birds so inquisitive and social? Listen here and find out! https://www.birdwatchersdigest.net/podcasts/otwtb/episode51.mp3
Ben and Alvaro discuss bird behavior in winter and how big birds, little birds, and vagrant birds cope with temperature extremes. Some birds fly away from the weather while others become zombie birds, preying on their fellow feathered friends! It’s looking like spring in Southern California while Alvaro braces for more winter as he discusses… Read more »
