Though most migratory song birds won’t arrive until April or May, March is a great month to tackle waterfowl identification. Binoculars and a field guide are the essential tools.
To find waterfowl, visit wetlands — lakes, farm ponds, beaver ponds, flooded meadows, and rivers, especially near dams. These are the habitats ducks frequent as they […]
Last week’s column on the perils of feeding deer corn in winter generated more mail than anything I’ve written in years. Many readers were mortified that their good intentions may have done more harm than good.
Here are a few excerpts from e-mails from concerned readers.
“I only put out a few cups of corn […]
Just days after 20 inches of snow blanketed the ridge, a second storm arrived. We could have another 8 inches by morning.
Such conditions bring out the softie in many of us. We make sure the bird feeders are filled even before we shovel out the driveway.
Feeding the deer?
But what about feeding the deer? They […]
In January, I did most of my wildlife watching through my office windows. Though the bird feeders were always busy, I also noticed a frenzy of activity among the gray and fox squirrels that inhabit the nearby woods.
Chase begins
On all but the coldest and snowiest days, I could count on seeing two squirrels chasing a […]
On Feb. 12-15, birders all across the country will participate in the 13th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society.
This popular citizen science project is an opportunity for families, students, and people of all ages to discover the world of wild […]
Whether you need help identifying birds for Project FeederWatch, or you’re preparing for next month’s Great Backyard Bird Count, or you’d just like to recognize the birds at your feeders, here are some tips to help identify common winter birds.
If you have a feeder in the backyard, you’re likely to see most of these […]
Of all outdoor activities, birdwatching might seem to be the most innocuous. How can one possibly get into trouble watching birds?
Well, earlier this month, a Boston birder was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and assaulting a police officer.
The 46-year-old man was birding in a marsh adjacent to some houses. A […]
On the afternoon of the first day of January, my wife and I scrambled to get a few outdoor chores finished before the snow arrived. The temperature had already dropped into the low 20s, so we were anxious to get things done.
As I carried garbage to the compost pile, I noticed that our small […]
Now that the holiday season is history and life is getting back to normal, resolve to make a difference this year.
Resolutions
Here’s a list of resolutions to consider. Each is relatively easy, and most will save a few dollars over the course of the year.
- Set your thermostat in winter to 68 degrees or […]
Christmas for Ohio and Pennsylvania Birders Pennsylvania and Ohio birders must have been particularly good this year. In mid-December they got an early Christmas gift. On almost the same day, an Allen’s hummingbird showed up in Holmes County, Ohio and Lancaster County, Pa.
It was a first for both states. Over the last 12 years […]
