If you haven’t seen any finches at your feeders lately, it’s because they are all over in my yard, and I mean all of them. I have never seen so many finches. They are like a cast of thousands in a Cecil B. DeMille epic film. The finches I speak of are house finches. Some confuse them with purple finches because the male house finch has a reddish tint. The females are rather ordinary looking … [Read more...]

Snow is a good thing – not only for all the school children who relish a few extra days off to break out their sleds and toboggans, but it is an essential element in growing flowers and vegetables. We “Backyard Farmers” need snow to turn out a successful harvest come summer and fall. The recent snow will blanket our gardens and when it melts – we assume it will melt eventually – our small plots … [Read more...]

When I was a boy, back before Interstate highways and air-conditioned vehicles, we played games in the car to occupy time and take our minds off the fact that it was hot as hell and we weren’t going very fast. One game we played was Guess My Pretty Bird. In the game (usually played outside), someone with a cup full of water doused whoever guessed the name of the bird he or she was thinking of. … [Read more...]

If you want bluebirds in your backyard, don’t wait until spring to put out a box. Do it right now. If it’s an old birdhouse, make sure to clean it thoroughly. In the real estate business for birds, the “buyers” can be picky and a dirty birdhouse will send them elsewhere. Also, make sure it’s a “bluebird house”. According to the National Audubon society, it’s critical that a bluebird house have … [Read more...]

Christmas is over. It’s time to un-decorate the tree, drag it out to the curb and let the trash guys do their thing. But not so fast! A Christmas tree has many uses after the holiday season is over. For one, it makes ideal cover for small birds as they face the coming winter. On a few occasions, I have convinced my wife to let me drag the tree to my vegetable garden and remain there until the … [Read more...]

I had a paper route when I was 12 years old and every morning I was out and about delivering the Beckley Post Herald to my 30 or so subscribers in Lewisburg, WV. Lewisburg is limestone country with rich soil, a soil that supports a large night crawler population. On warm, wet mornings, the night crawlers were all over the streets and I had to swerve my bike to keep from running over them. … [Read more...]

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31   The above is one of my favorite bible verses. The very poorest people of that day couldn’t afford sheep or goats for religious sacrifices, … [Read more...]

There are approximately 5 million of us who enjoy backyard bird watching to some degree and it’s hard to watch and observe without scattering a few seeds. As a mater of fact, according to the 2014 Wild Bird Feeding Industry research, 3 million Americans bought bird seed totaling $6.3 billion. Since money – and birdseed – doesn’t grow on trees, we birders need to get the most bang for our bucks. … [Read more...]

Who would ever name a bird “titmouse?” The poor little tufted titmouse has nothing in common with a mouse, or the other part of its name. The regal little bird with the crest should have been named the silver prince or something equally as distinguished, But it’s name is the tufted titmouse and we always have them at our feeder. About 10 years ago, I was blessed to witness the fledging of a … [Read more...]

Some of the most entertaining birds in our back yard are the blue jays. Jays often get bad press because they will bust up nests of other birds. They are very opportunistic and will kill baby birds and eat other bird eggs if given the chance. But they are one of the smartest birds on the planet and I enjoy sharing my back yard with a small, resident flock. Recently, I was in the backyard … [Read more...]