Tag: Rose Breasted Grosbeaks
And Now, A Brief Post About Birds
We have an amazing Tulip post coming, but I’m not posting it until Wednesday because 1) Judy took so many beautiful pictures of Tulips that even after I whittled them down, there were still almost 50 which is too many, so I need to work some more on photo elimination; and 2) we have bird …
Consider Yourself At Home
Recently Judy was on the back porch and noticed a small bird flitting in and out of the bird house that hangs just outside of the windows.
Overdue Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles were supposed to arrive early this year (according to people who know their birds), but came late instead. Normally they arrive right around May 1, but this year Judy saw our first Oriole on Thursday, May 5. Perhaps our topsy turvy spring weather first hastened and then delayed their arrival.
Bird Feeding Fatigue
I’m suffering from BFF. Not Best Friends Forever, but Bird Feeding Fatigue. Normally scrupulous about keeping my various birdfeeders well-stocked, for about eight weeks I didn’t put out so much as a single seed. After a long hiatus, on Wednesday I filled the feeders with fresh suet, safflower, and nyjer. Part of the reason is …
Attracting the Songbirds of Spring and Summer
In April I usually start changing the mix of bird foods that I offer in my back garden feeders. There are a few reasons for this. First off, I want to get ready for the neotropical migrants – orioles, grosbeaks, indigo buntings, etc. – that usually arrive in Chicago right around May 1. If you …
When Birds Collide
There was a disturbing article about birds crashing into windows (or window strikes) in the Winter 2014 issue of Living Bird, the publication of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Apparently the typical American home passively kills 1-3 birds per year through window strikes, likely more if there are bird feeders around. This may not sound …
2013: Birds of the Garden in Review
Well, it’s that time of year when people review various aspects of the year in the garden. As an avid backyard bird feeder, one thing I like to look back on is which birds showed up, which didn’t, and anything else that stands out in the avian department. So let’s get going, shall we? Winter …
Return of the Prodigal Grosbeak
The beginning of May is when many migratory songbirds return to the Chicago area. And so, before leaving home for a business trip, I stocked the bird feeders with some of their favorite foods. Sure enough, when I returned today, there were Baltimore Orioles and Rose Breasted Grosbeaks making themselves at home in the back …
2012: The Year in Birds (Part I)
Backyard bird watching has had its rewards and disappointments this year. Among the high points were the first ever appearances of cedar waxwings and indigo buntings. The cedar waxwings just hung around for a week or so, but I’ve planted a number of their favorites (including serviceberry and both black and red elderberry), so I’m …
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