People have lots of different types of pets – dogs, cats, turtles, hamsters, parakeets and goldfish. I have a pet mockingbird. Our relationship began this spring when I was feeding mealworms  to my bluebirds in their special tray. The mockingbird, who mostly hangs out on or near our neighbor’s hedge, flew over to investigate, discovered the mealies, had a few and flew back to the hedge. … [Read more...]

Finally, the grackles are gone. They showed up last March, and for nearly 4 months they have plagued my bird feeders and harassed my songbirds. I didn’t have swarms of grackles this year, but about a dozen settled in our neighborhood and nested in some tall pines several hundred yards from our yard. They would fly in, snatch some sunflower hearts and sail back to feed their young. Grackle … [Read more...]

One of our most prized plantings is a gorgeous Butterflyweed. A few years ago, Nancy picked a half dozen small seeds from a Butterflyweed pod. She started them inside and nurtured them into small plants. When she brought them outside, she knew the squirrels would get at them and dig them up, so she put a heavy wire guard around the plants to keep the pesky from getting down. The plants … [Read more...]

I have been living with bluebirds for over 30 years. I had never seen a bluebird in our yard until a pair first came to our water bowl. Bluebirds love water and that’s the first way to attract them. The next spring we had a small pottery-type bird house hanging on an old clothesline pole (yes, it was that many years ago.) One day, I noticed a bird with brilliant blue plumage going in and out of … [Read more...]

Drive along most any road or street in town and you’ll see one or more. They will be perched on a mailbox, a utility pole, a tall shrub or a tree limb, and ready to swoop down and nail an unsuspecting insect. They are mockingbirds, one of the most interesting of all backyard birds and one of the best singers on the planet. This time of year, mockingbirds stake out their territories, most having … [Read more...]

Snow White stopped by our house last week. I didn’t see Dopey or Doc or any of her other Dwarf friends, but she was there in all her snow-white glory. I think my Snow White was an albino cowbird – at least it was the same size and shape as a cowbird. Interestingly, Nancy saw some grackles feeding that same bird a few days later. Cowbirds are notorious for laying their eggs in the nests of other … [Read more...]

Honeybee sightings are getting fewer and farther between. I consider it an honor just to see one in my yard. We have plants, Mountain Mint, that draws lots of bees in with their sweet aroma, but they haven’t bloomed yet, and – no bees. Honeybees, as most are aware, have been having a hard time of it in recent years. No one knows for sure, but their decline in numbers has been blames on several … [Read more...]

Nancy has planted flowers along the sidewalk to our back yard for several years. And for several years, the squirrels and chipmunks wait until the cultivated ground has been planted, then they dig up everything in sight and plant their own acorns and nuts. This can get discouraging. I suggested a box .177 caliber pellet gun projectiles to take care of her problem, but she was all about sparing the … [Read more...]

I love having strangers visit my yard – bird strangers, that is, not humans. One such bird that comes by on occasion is the Rose-breasted Grosbeak. One stopped by this week, and I considered that my lucky day. There is an old saying, in fact, that simply seeing this lovely bird is associated with hope, joy and good fortune. It is a sign of positive changes on the horizon and who couldn’t use a … [Read more...]

I’m knocking on wood here, but I may have solved my birdfeeder problems for good. Squirrels and grackles are my mortal enemies, stealing my expensive bird seed meant for songbirds only. The grackles come in swarms, and they can empty a feeder in minutes. And squirrels? It’s like the 100 Years War – never ending. But two things are turning the tide in my favor. Hearts on Fire sunflower hearts … [Read more...]