We call him Wrenfield, our tiny troubadour. Wrenfield is a Carolina wren. We think he’s been around our house for several years. He wakes us each morning with a cheerful song and is one of the last birds to stop singing in the evening. He has quite a repertoire of songs and chirps. For a little fellow, he sure makes a lot of noise. Wrenfield is always cheerful. He seems happy to just be alive … [Read more...]
Grackle Attack
They come in swarms, just as spring arrives. Only this year they came early. The grackles, that is. And they’ll eat you out of house and home. Throughout the winter, I feed my birds sunflower seed hearts. Because it has already been shelled, birds such as robins, mockingbirds and my beloved bluebirds can eat and digest the hearts. But sunflower seed hearts and chips are expensive, about twenty … [Read more...]
Don’t Fence Me In!
Back yard gardeners in central Virginia – and in most other parts of the entire country – have a deer problem. More than drought, more than a late cold snap, more than a swarm of locusts, deer represent the biggest threat of all to azalea bushes, hasta plants, lilies and most every vegetable in a garden. Deer have adapted quite nicely to man, thank you very much, but the reverse is not necessarily … [Read more...]
Talking with the Animals
My back yard has turned into a wildlife resort. There is more deer poop than grass in many places. Of course, me being a birder and all, and my scattering seeds and corn for the critters does little to discourage all sorts of animals and birds from homesteading on my property. I feel especially sorry for the birds and animals this year because there is very little for them to eat in the fields and … [Read more...]
Attract Birds with Water
On a recent winter morning, the temperature had plunged to single digits C.O.L.D., cold. Early, on, I was in the yard scattering seeds and I also put a gallon of fresh water in our heated birdbath, which was nearly frozen over. By the time I got back to the house and peeked out the kitchen window, the birds had already discovered the water. Virtually ignoring all the seeds, they flocked to the … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 35
- 36
- 37