Bird Watching Binoculars

Do You Train Your Squirrels?

My Kindergarten Class

Since I moved into my home nine years ago, I’ve had squirrels.  My property backs up to a wooded area that borders several properties so I’ve had my fair share.  When I started birding seven years ago I decided that I would feed them as well.  Since I employ a raccoon baffle on my main feeder station and squirrel baffles on my bluebird houses, I wasn’t concerned about my back yard becoming overly popular.  I have a corncob feeder and squirrel box on my back fence and a squngee hanging from one of my smaller trees.  There was an initial learning curve for them to learn and trust these feeders but with a mixture of adults and children back there the knowledge was acquired.  Whether it took an adult to learn and show a little one or the little ones just happened on it by being nosey, it did happen.

This is no longer the case. Read More …

A Landmark Bluebird Achievement

First Time In Four Years

As I have mentioned before in my Dark Legacy post, for the last four years or so I have had a bluebird pair with some type of genetic defect.  This theory was backed up when Julie Zickefoose suggested I crack open an unhatched egg and confirm there was no viable chick in it. They would build a nest in my box, lay eggs and then the heartbreak began.  Without predation, some of each clutch of eggs would just not hatch.  Then, of the two or three that did, only one and rarely two would actually fledge.

Read More …

My Bluebirds Have Made A Nest

Update 5/15/10: The feeding frenzy finally came to an end so I thought I’d check the box today.  As far as I can tell all 5 bluebirds successfully hatched and fledged the nest.  I’ll have another post this week about it as this is an historic moment in my bluebird stewardship!
Read More …

Tell Me Where You’ve Been Birding

This is an update to a previous post . I had some server issues that are now corrected.

I’ve been birding for almost seven years.  Most of it has been spent at or around my home outside of Nashville, TN.  I have been blessed enough to have a fairly wide variety of both permanent and migrating species to keep me busy.  I have not graduated to the birding trip to other parts of the USA or abroad.  I know the time will come for that.
Read More …

Are Your Birds Warming Up For Spring?

I’ve been listening to my backyard since I’ve started feeding birds years ago. No matter what season it is I always try to pay attention to what’s going on back there.

Last weekend we almost hit 70 degrees on Sunday and I’ve been hearing a whole lot more of the calling you hear in the spring when males are looking for mates. I guess I technically mean more songs than calls but you get my meaning. Cardinals, goldfinches, titmice, blue jays, mourning doves, chickadees and more all seem like their tuning up their pipes for the coming mating season.

Read More …

Yellow Rumped Warbler Feeder Sentry

Every winter, I get an interesting mixture of wintering and migrating species to my backyard. Every year, Yellow Rumped Warblers are among these. I’ll see them but not think much about it because they have been generally non-aggressive and somewhat passive feeder customers. They pick around the ground for tidbits here and there and don’t really make much a fuss about anything. That is, until this year.
Read More …