I find it fascinating that if I have a pair of catbirds in my yard one year, I will have a pair the next year. Like the swallows of Capistrano, they always return. And so it is with my pair of Brown Thrashers. They are among my loveliest backyard visitors. Many confuse Brown Thrashers with Wood Thrush, and refer to a Thrasher as a Thrush. Not so. The Wood Thrush is slightly smaller … [Read more...]

We have a feeder about ten feet from the kitchen window which offers me a great – pardon the pun – bird’s eye view of my backyard visitors. One of the most beautiful birds that graces my yard is the downy woodpecker with a whiter-than-white breast, jet black wings and tail, and a spot of scarlet red on its head. I don’t know where the little fellows nest, but they did successfully and have been … [Read more...]

  Break out the hummingbird feeders. The little fellows have arrived. Perhaps I should at least one has arrived. I saw him in the back yard Monday, snooping around. We have lots of blooms in the yard, but no feeders out  – yet. Hummingbirds are usually late arrivals in our yard, sometimes June or July, so this was pretty early for our area. In and around Orange, hummers fly through … [Read more...]

  They hatched last Saturday afternoon and on Sunday morning. Three, healthy, precious baby blue birds. The adult bluebirds responsible selected the house on our fence last November. Almost daily, they have checked out the box and any bird or squirrel that drew near was dive-bombed - and this was before they built. I don’t think these are the same two that nested here last year, but … [Read more...]

  Well, not exactly frogs – yet. We have two bullfrog tadpoles that should become frogs in a few weeks. Got them at Springdale Gardens near Greenville and now we’re considering a genuine pond for our potential frogs and existing pet goldfish. I have always wanted an underground or partially underground goldfish pond, but to date, Nancy has vetoed my pond legislation. Wives have that … [Read more...]

  Roll call: Robins? We’re here. Bluebirds? Present Goldfinches? Yep, we’re here. Catbirds?..... Catbirds?..... Where are my catbirds? Foe the past 4 or 5 years, I have had one family of catbirds that nested in the rear of my yard. This year. – so far – I haven’t seen them They usually arrive in early April, and I’m getting a little worried. Catbirds are lovely, … [Read more...]

  “Hello? Fluker Farms? This is the guy in Virginia who buys all those meal worms from you and I’m going to need more. I have bluebirds, cardinals and robins nesting in my yard!” My bluebirds were on the nest early this year – at the end of March. I look for the babies to hatch this weekend and it’s important to keep mealworms on hand for maximum chick survival. As I mentioned, I buy … [Read more...]

  After being a drab olive for six months, my male goldfinches are beginning to put on the Ritz, molting into a new suit of bright gold feathers. I always thought the birds’ feathers changed colors, but they don’t. Many birds grow new and entirely differently colored feathers. The goldfinch is the only one in its family to undergo a complete, not a partial molt. Even the females get a … [Read more...]

  Last fall, Nancy planted broccoli in several pots in her patio garden. We had a couple of crowns before winter hit, but not much. We planted a little too late. I then advised her not to pull up the plants but to wait until spring and see if they would produce then. They didn’t. They went to seed with beautiful pale yellow blossoms. About ten days ago,  my wife headed for her garden to … [Read more...]