I have one squirrel in my yard who has figured out how to bypass the baffles on my bird feeders. I don’t know how he does it. I’ve never caught him in the act. He either somehow shimmies up and over the baffle or takes extraordinary leaps from the ground or the bushes and cover nearby. But somehow, this one squirrel finds his way up and into to my pricey sunflower hearts. But in my ongoing … [Read more...]

For the first time in memory there are no squirrel nests in any tree in my yard. I have squirrels. There were 7 of them out there this morning pilfering my bird seeds, but there are no nests. The reason is that all my maple trees are old timers, planted in the late 60’s and they now have lots of cavities, nooks and crannies. The tree just outside our bedroom window has a wonderful dugout hole … [Read more...]

We have had two snows in the last week, and though they weren’t big snows, it was enough to completely cover the grounds and cause extra stress on birds and animals. I have since been feeding my birds extra helpings of seeds and have been observing their activities.I have two basic feeding areas – one near the kitchen window and beneath my permanent feeders and the other in the way back near my … [Read more...]

As I pulled in the driveway one day last week, I saw a flock of unfamiliar birds splashing in and drinking water from our goldfish pond. There were 16 or 18 cardinal-sized birds, and I noticed flashes of yellow. Then I knew. It was a flock of Cedar Waxwings. I see these lovely birds once or twice a year as they pass through. Unfortunately, I don’t have any plants or trees in my yard from which … [Read more...]

I have been a serious birder for about 20 years – ever since bluebirds first showed up and started nesting in my yard. I keep multiple feeders and water sources in the yard to attract as many birds as possible, but one thing that I have discovered – I get the same mix of birds every year. This past week, for example, the snowbirds showed up right on schedule and they will leave my yard in March. … [Read more...]

My two suet feeders have been getting more and more attention with the arrival of cold weather. I have had nuthatches, downy woodpeckers, red bellied woodpeckers, sparrows, chickadees, titmice, bluebirds, and wrens squeezing in and out of the suet cages. Cardinals, and mockingbirds will also come to suet feeders, but I haven’t seen them at the feeders in my yard. Maybe later. Suet is an … [Read more...]

For some unknown reason, deer like to cross Route 29 North near my house. And a good many don’t make it. Recently I saw a decent buck alongside the road, which had challenged a passing car and came in second. But his carcass wouldn’t be around long. I also saw 10 black buzzards waiting their turn at the buffet line. They were on mop up duty. If there is an uglier bird than a buzzard, I would … [Read more...]

They finally left two weeks ago: Our resident hummingbirds, which have graced our sugar-water feeders for the past several months. We worried that they may have stayed too long in Virginia and perhaps our feeders were tempting the tiny creatures to overstay their visit. Not to worry. Just before the first frost, our hummers headed south. I wish them Godspeed. Here are some hummingbird … [Read more...]

They are pretty little birds with gray suits and dark black eyes and a black face. They are tufted titmice, and we have a family in our yard each year. The year-round residents visit our feeders regularly and they absolutely love peanuts. I don’t spread peanuts in my yard as much as I once did because that encourages the squirrels – destructive varmints that they are. Our squirrels actually … [Read more...]

They’re out there and they are falling. Leaves. What do we do with them? When I was a boy, Daddy would rake them to the edge of the curb and burn them. So did everybody else. October in Lewisburg carried the enchanting smell of burning leaves for much of the month. The question today is what to do with leaves. Namely, do you put them in a backyard garden – assuming you have a … [Read more...]