I had a  UFO in  my yard this week, but instead of a little green man, it was a strange gray bird like I’ve never before seen, Nancy saw it and called me to the kitchen window. “What kind of bird is that?” she remarked. The bird was perched near our feeders, but not feeding. It appeared more curious than anything else. It was a gray bird, a lighter gray and a little mottled in the chest, … [Read more...]

  (A custom bluebird house)   Chris Johnson of Earlysville may have the most prolific bluebirds in Virginia. Maybe anywhere. Chris told me earlier in the year that two pair nested in his yard for the first time ever. Bluebirds are quite territorial and usually put up a stiff fight for squatter’s rights and sole occupancy, but Chris said the two houses were not within sight of … [Read more...]

Birds are fun to watch and some birds are as beautiful as the finest works of art. This spring and summer we have been blessed with goldfinches, one of the most spectacular birds of all. We watched this spring as the males began molting and shed their drab olive plumage and slowly, but surely, sprouted brilliant yellow and inky black feathers. They are now in full color and they are … [Read more...]

  If you haven’t already, fill those sugar feeders at once. The hummers are here. Our hummingbirds are usually late arrivals,  sometime mid to late July, but this year, I saw a few buzzing through back in April and our regulars have now set up shop near our feeders. They make regular visits to insure there are no other intruders. For little guys, they surely fight a lot. Last year, I … [Read more...]

Egyptians had their locusts. I am plagued with grackles. As a bird watcher and avid bird feeder, I despise grackles. They show up in mid-March and stay till mid-June, all the while eating me out of house and home. It wouldn’t be so bad if there were just a half dozen or so, but they come in swarms, up to 50 and more and they pound my feeders with sunflower hearts and my hanging Peanut Suet Logs … [Read more...]

In the world of bluebirds there is only one thing predictable – and that is they are totally unpredictable. Each family that visits and nests in our yard is different. We have been blessed with bluebirds for a number of years and in only one year did they not nest somewhere in our backyard. The main reason we have bluebirds is fresh water. We maintain several birdbaths and that attracts … [Read more...]

Many in the avian community are concerned about the recent spread of a condition known as BBB – “Bad Bird Behavior”, and it seems to be spreading. My daughter, Laura, recently moved from Durham into a house near downtown Charlottesville. Soon after she had settled in, she heard a “thump” at the back window. She went to investigate and discovered that it was a robin who was and continued to … [Read more...]

All present and accounted for, Sir. The roll call for my backyard birds has been called and every bird that should be there is there. Catbirds, yep. Thrashers, yep. And the last to make its spring appearance was a Flicker. Northern Flickers are woodpeckers, and I believe they are the most beautiful bird to grace my yard. I found one dead in the front yard a few years back that had either … [Read more...]