A week ago, I wrote about seeing a female blue grosbeak. I saw her on two straight days, but no male. I also said that I had never seen a male blue grosbeak in the yard. But I was mistaken. In April 2000, I wrote the article below “Jim, come quick. There’s a strange bird beneath the feeder.” Reluctantly putting down my morning paper, I went to the kitchen window and saw the blue bird … [Read more...]

I saw a strange bird scratching below my feeder this week. It was a deep rich-brown color, larger than a sparrow but not as large as a thrasher and lacking long tail feathers. I had no clue until I scanned my bird guide. It was a female Blue Grosbeak. I saw her for two days, then no more. I have never seen a male Blue Grosbeak in my yard. Adult males are royal blue with a tiny black mask in … [Read more...]

It’s amazing what a week or so of 70-degree weather will do. Blooms, for example. Our forsythia patch is turning into a golden vista. Yellow jonquils are showing off all around the yard. Lovely purple hyacinths have popped up and the little crocuses are erupting in beauty. The ever-faithful Lenten Roses are in full bloom – they start before all the others. Perhaps the happiest of all my … [Read more...]

Feeding and birdwatching is fun, but if you’re not careful, you can spend a small fortune in food and seeds. Americans spent about 5 billion last year. That’s a lot of sunflower seeds. Recently, I have been buying in bulk wherever I can. I buy Premium Birdseed at Sam’s, for example, at about $29 for 40 pounds of high-quality seed, but that blend does not have sunflower hearts or chips, which is … [Read more...]

I have 3 crows that regularly make the rounds in my back yard.  That’s because they know they will usually find some goodies – like whole kernel corn - scattered about. And sometimes they find their favorite snacks - pieces of stale bread that I have tossed out for the birds. They will grab the bread before the corn, peanuts, or seeds. The first thing they do is fly to the pond or a … [Read more...]

I saw one yesterday. A grackle. The  first of  the  year, but there will be  more to come. Down in Atlanta they are thick as thieves and my son Jimmie has declared war on the  thieving birds  as they  come in hordes and devour his birdseed. Unless  you stop filling your birdfeeders, the grackles will come, but as I advised Jimmie, there is a way to ease … [Read more...]

We have rabbits in our yard from time to time. We mostly see them in the spring and summer. They were once frequent visitors to my garden, but a tight mesh fence now keeps them at bay. However, in the last few weeks I have seen one rabbit almost daily, munching along where I have scattered seeds for the birds. I have recently been tossing out scoopfuls of No Waste bird seed which includes … [Read more...]

I have been buying the Supreme Blend of bird seed from Sam’s Club. It is absolutely the best buy in bird seed, and it has none of the little red seeds (milo) which go to waste and attract rodents. When I spreads it on the ground, I have noticed the little birds – the snowbirds, song sparrows and gold finches pecking away, but not at the sunflower seeds. They were eating the small, White Proso … [Read more...]

Jonquils like to get an early start on spring. Give the little guys a few warm days in January and they are up and at ‘em. Our jonquils began popping up last week, just as the last of the ice and snow melted away. They seem to surprise us every year with an early sprout, but come Feb. 1, ready or not, jonquils are coming out of the ground. But not to worry. Snow and cold won’t kill spring … [Read more...]

If there seems to be a shortage of finches, sparrows, and snowbirds in your yard, it’s because they are all over at our house. I counted over 60 assorted house finches, gold finches, snowbirds and sparrows scratching away at the feeders and scattered seeds last week when ice and snow covered the ground. Lots of birds fly to the feeders but many of the little birds enjoy finding seeds on the … [Read more...]