I did not intend to be a farmer with a crop of corn in my yard, but that’s how it’s all shaping up. For Christmas, I was the beneficiary of a big bag of dried corn ears. The plan is to screw one the ears on a gizmo hanging from a tree. The squirrels would then somehow locate the ear of corn and eat from it. But that’s not exactly how it works. Oh, the squirrels found it alright – took them … [Read more...]

I got a bird store for Christmas. Well, not an actual store, but all its inventory. Somewhere out there, there is a bird/pet store with empty shelves. But that’s not a bad thing. Bird seed and birds feeding accessories are among my favorite gifts to receive and all my family is well aware. Safflower seed never goes out of style and a bag of cracked  corn fits one and all. I got enough suet this … [Read more...]

By the Backyard Birds   Hey Santa, we’ve been pretty good birds this year. Other than pecking at a few unfriendly starlings and pooping on some lawn furniture, we’ve behaved ourselves, so how about some treats for us this Christmas? For starters, we really need a heater for the bird bath (and some of us need a bird bath bowl as well – they must think we don’t need to drink water from … [Read more...]

One crow generally stands watch. He is the scout team. I have a group of 4 crows that regularly stops by at my back yard. That’s because I regularly toss out a handful of corn which the crows enjoy. I like having crows because I don’t like having hawks, and the crows do a good enough squawking job to keep hawks away. But while three crows are feeding, one stands guard, usually on a branch … [Read more...]

Last Sunday during a torrential downpour, I saw Wrenfield pecking away on the window ledge. He had found a juicy spider. Wrenfield is my resident Carolina Wren. He, or one of his ancestors, has called our yard home every year we’ve been living at 214 Brentwood Road. While we’ve only lived in one house for the last 47 years, Wrenfield has had many houses – sometimes in a water bucket, sometimes … [Read more...]

Like clockwork, the snowbirds have returned. Last year it was mid-November when I saw my little flock of snowbirds show up. This year it was Tuesday morning, November 17 when I saw the little gray fellows pecking away at some scattered seeds on the ground. The friendly little songbirds had been missing in action since March, when things started to warm. Then, they headed for Canada to spend the … [Read more...]

I suppose my back yard is the Mecca for house finches. They are at my feeders throughout the day, every day, spring, summer, fall and winter. They never fly off for vacations. They stay planted in my yard. Late this summer, I assume right after several families hatched, we had 30 or more finches at a time fighting for a spot on my sunflower heart feeder. The little rascals also love to take baths … [Read more...]

Ever wonder where frogs go and what they do when it gets cold? Me either, until several of the friendly little amphibians took up residence in our new goldfish pond. Now, I stay up nights worrying about what frogs do in the winter, that and wondering if I remembered to put the roast back in the refrigerator. Here’ what I discovered about frogs in cold weather. Frogs are cold blooded. That … [Read more...]