Because of work and other complications, I figured I wasn’t going to get in any birding — let alone bird photos — on this “Leap Day,” the quadrennial 29th of February. After a quick run to campus and the bank this morning, as I pulled back into my driveway, beyond the roof of our houseContinue reading “Looking out my back door on Leap Day”
Category Archives: Backyard birds
Birds in the snow: an increasingly rare treat
We had two snowfalls this week, on Tuesday and overnight into this morning. Because the snow has been so scarce the past few winters, I made sure to get outside with my camera in hopes of getting some nice shots of birds in the elements. I didn’t get a great shot but I didn’t getContinue reading “Birds in the snow: an increasingly rare treat”
Inspiration from a goldfinch with a disability
Since I am dealing with temporarily limited mobility and walking with a cane, I felt a kinship with a male American goldfinch that came to our nyjer seed feeder this afternoon. On a beautiful late summer day, I couldn’t resist parking in a chair on our patio, hoping to spot a wide variety of birds,Continue reading “Inspiration from a goldfinch with a disability”
These dutiful parents must be exhausted!
From my indoor perch I’ve been watching a pair of house wrens hour after hour making furious sorties from the birdhouse suspended from our larch tree, in search of food for what I presume is a brood of wee offspring. The parents are relentless in their mission, darting in and out. I figure they resembleContinue reading “These dutiful parents must be exhausted!”
Back to backyard birding
Some medical adventures have temporarily knocked me off the birding trails, and in my recovery I am reacquainting myself with the joys of backyard birding. I’m often parked in my recliner, facing a wall of picture windows offering a visual gateway to our modest yard and the golf course adjoining our property. Ever since myContinue reading “Back to backyard birding”
Tips on making your yard a bird sanctuary
A surprise request came in to my mailbox several days ago. The real estate firm Redfin asked me to contribute some words of advice on how to attract birds to your yard. I’d been considering a post on that very topic, so here’s what I submitted: We’ve set up a triangle that attracts a colorfulContinue reading “Tips on making your yard a bird sanctuary”
Sometimes, the birds come to us
You can tramp for an hour through the woods and fail to find a bird to photograph, and sometimes all you have to do is look up from the kitchen table to find something magnificent paying you a call. The latter happened yesterday as my wife and I sat down to lunch. I was oneContinue reading “Sometimes, the birds come to us”
Recommended bird feeder: The Squirrel-Buster Plus
Throughout time, Man and Squirrel have uneasily co-existed in a Hegelian dialectic battle for supremacy in controlling access to bird feeders. It is a noble struggle for both creatures, thesis and antithesis, with the fortunes of the birds hanging in the balance. We first got serious about feeding the birds about 10 years ago whenContinue reading “Recommended bird feeder: The Squirrel-Buster Plus”
Who are those guys? Lessons from the backyard bird count
The Great Backyard Bird Count was on last weekend, and I did my part, logging all the familiar birds that visit regularly. But there was one trickster in the mix, and it took me a while to figure out that this particular bird breed had fooled me once again. On Sunday morning, I logged inContinue reading “Who are those guys? Lessons from the backyard bird count”
Harbinger of Spring: morning birdsong
With 37 days of winter remaining yesterday, it didn’t strike me at first when I went out to fill the bird bath, but morning birdsong is back! Robins and finches (not to mention a squawking blue jay) were making their presence heard in my yard. I didn’t really clue into the return of the morningContinue reading “Harbinger of Spring: morning birdsong”
The Jersey Birder 