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...]

Sitting on the back patio recently, I saw four dragonflies buzzing across the lawn. Since then, I have noticed dragon flies seemingly everywhere. Maybe they’ve been there all along and I didn’t notice them, or maybe it’s just been a really good year for dragonflies. Whatever the reason, they are interesting creatures. I watched one dragonfly intently. He hovered like a tiny black drone, then … [Read more...]

Our hummers are buzzing. Whereas we usually have 2 or 3 at our back yard feeders, we have a half dozen or more this year and they are battling one another, as usual. But as always, they are beautiful and fascinating creatures. Got a nickel in your pocket? That’s how much the little guys weigh. Their nests are the size of a quarter. Hummingbirds are in a perpetual state … [Read more...]

Nancy took this shot of a lovely Swallowtail Butterfly enjoying the sweet nectar of our butterfly bush. We have had many visitors to this pollinator-attracting plant, even a few Monarchs, but by far, the most common is the Swallowtail Butterfly. Swallowtails look almost exactly like a monarch, except for its forked tail-like protrusions. That’s the easiest way to distinguish the two. There are … [Read more...]