Your Fall Backyard Tuneup In fall, birds’ needs start changing. The bird houses you set up in spring and which saw a lot of activity are now vacant. Pressure to secure food for hungry mouths in the nest has subsided, and now many birds are bulking up for migration. To create a friendly backyard for […]
Late Season Nestcams! Many of the birds from the nest cams we have previously been watching are growing up or have successfully fledged. Now we have a new Guillemot nest, as well as chicks and juvenile birds from some of the nests we have been following. We especially love watching the juvenile Layasan Albatross pictured […]
A Day at the Beach What could be more summer-like than a day at the beach? Who doesn’t love having fun in the water and on the sand? And the beach is a popular spot for wildlife as well. Terrapins cross busy streets to get from the marsh to Piping Plover chick the sandy shores […]
Your Summer Backyard Your backyard in summer is different from the rest of the year. In each season, birds have different needs, and summer can be extreme – both because of the heat and the additional pressure of feeding baby and juvenile birds. You may be providing a lot of food for birds – in […]
More Nestcams! ‘Tis the season! Birds are still nesting, and this month, there are a few new nestcams including Atlantic Puffins, Arctic Terns, Allen’s Hummingbird, Peregrine Falcons, Osprey and Double-crested Cormorants. NEW nests with lots of chicks and behavior to watch! Allen’s Hummingbird, California Atlantic Puffins, Maine Arctic Terns, Maine Peregrine Falcons, Idaho Osprey, Maine […]
Watching Migration Fly By We couldn’t resist this terrific piece of info on migration from Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Using millions of pieces of data from ebird combined with other sources, they put together an animated map of 118 species of birds and their movements including migration, throughout one year. It’s fascinating to see that some […]
More Nestcams We can never get enough of nestcams! Nesting season continues with new great views of nesting condors, lots of Great-horned Owlets, and this nest of seven seriously adorable Long-eared Owlets. NEW nests with lots of chicks to watch! California Condor, California Long Eared Owls, Montana Great Horned Owls, Montana CATCH UP on what’s […]
New Birdwatching Guide New York City’s Central Park was recently identified as one of the five most important places to see spring migration in the US by Smithsonian Magazine. Those of us who live in New York City know how amazing migration can be here, and I am excited to tell you about the release […]
Eating Like a Bird Birds have much different eating habits than humans – especially during migration when they really need to add calories to deal with the stress and energy requirements of long hours of flying. You may have been chided by your mother at one point that you ate like a bird, but if […]
Ospreys on the Move! We promise songbirds will start migrating through soon. Until then, there is still a lot of raptor activity to keep you busy! Eagles and many hawks are already nesting, but Osprey, who cannot tolerate cold weather, are on the move right now. Having overwintered in South America and Cuba, they are feeling the […]
Birds Need Your Help to Get Through the Winter And, February is National Bird Feeding month — a time when winter food sources have been seriously picked over and cold weather persists. Many birds like robins and mockingbirds are surviving off remaining berries. And when its been a tough winter, those berries are now in […]
The Importance of Brush Piles During winter, many trees and bushes lose their leaves, leaving birds and animals with fewer places to hide. Wildlife can be attracted to your backyard by providing food, clean water, and cover. Creating a brush pile can provide a valuable safe spot for birds to use to escape predators and […]
Ducks on Ice Ever wonder why ducks can stay in ice water or on the ice and their feet don’t freeze? There’s a simple scientific reason for this. Basically the feet, which are not covered in feathers, have a counter-current heat exchange system between the arteries and veins in their legs which supplies the naked […]
FAMILY FUN: Owling Adventure What kid (or adult for that matter), wouldn’t love to see an owl in the wild? Due to their nocturnal habits (most owls are only active at night), and well-camouflaged feathers, owls can be difficult to spot. During the day, owls roost in thick trees and shrubs, and often hold completely […]
Looking For Hawks on Migration Watching hawks migrate can be done anywhere along their migration route. There are well known hotspots where hawks can be seen in great numbers on migration. But you don’t need to travel far to see hawks on the move. If you are on a flyway, you can look up to […]
The Mystery of the Migration Route Do birds fly the same route on migration in spring and fall? Would it surprise you that many of them don’t? In fact, scientists are finding out that many birds, especially in spring, follow a path of new plant growth — what is called a “green wave” of migration […]
Where to Watch Hawk Migration Fall migration means many species of birds are on the move. September and October are great times to see birds heading south, and this month we have a terrific fall migration hotspot to visit. Duluth, Minnesota is located on the western tip of Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in […]
Making That First Migration Young birds are leaving the nest, and many of them are getting ready for their first trip south. Migration is a hard and risky business for any bird, but the first marathon voyage for many species of birds takes place shortly after they have fledged. How do they do it? Songbirds […]
Planting for Hummingbirds Who doesn’t love hummingbirds in their garden? You may already set up hummingbird feeders filled with sugar water, but feeders can require a lot of maintenance, as they must be kept cleaned and filled with fresh food. A Bee Balm better option might be to plant native flowers to attract hummingbirds. As […]
FAMILY FUN: Baby Ducklings Near You Waterfowl chicks are hatching and they are adorable! Most ducks nest on the ground where they might build a Wood Duck Babies: Stan Tekila nest out of wet vegetation, or burrow into a clump of grass. Wood ducks are an exception — they nest in natural tree cavities, or in […]