Random Sightings
From Our Gallery
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Robin Feast
Posted by Tylor Birmingham, May 26, 2020.
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Bluebird Brunch
Posted by Tylor Birmingham, May 26, 2020.
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Cardinals
Posted by Sharon Stangle, Aug 13, 2019.
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Purple House Finch
Posted by Sharon Stangle, Aug 13, 2019.
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Blue Jay
Posted by Sharon Stangle, Aug 13, 2019.
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Red Bllied woodpecker
Posted by Lynne Thomas, Dec 11, 2018.
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Male Downy Woodpecker
Posted by Bret Goddard, Nov 28, 2016.
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Ruby-throated hummingbird
Posted by Linda Petersen, Nov 18, 2016.
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Morning tea
Posted by Linda Petersen, Jul 03, 2016.
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If I keep on pulling just a bit more
Posted by Bret Goddard, Mar 23, 2016.
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Cedar Waxwing with Breakfast (juvenile)
Posted by Heidi Schmidt, Sep 21, 2015.
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Feeding the young.
Posted by David Aiken, Aug 01, 2015.
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Baltimore Oriole
Posted by Jerri Califf, Jun 27, 2015.
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Lesser Goldfinch
Posted by Parker Hill, May 09, 2015.
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Fluffy
Posted by Cheryl Ewing, May 09, 2015.
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Little woodpecker feeder
Posted by Lenie De Jong, Feb 11, 2015.
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Pine Grosbeak Two Couple !
Posted by Judy Tailby, Feb 02, 2015.
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Coopers Hawk Stretch
Posted by Bret Goddard, Dec 10, 2014.
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Black Capped Chickadee
Posted by Judy Tailby, Dec 07, 2014.
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Black Capped Chickadee
Posted by Judy Tailby, Dec 07, 2014.
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Website Features
Posted on Mar 17, 2021 Comments »
Here's one weird, but true way to help birds during nesting season: Save your eggshells and offer them to your avian visitors. Female birds need calcium—especially during egg-laying season.
Written by Dawn Hewitt, Jan 27, 2021 Comments »
A Watching Backyard Birds subscriber emailed editor Dawn Hewitt a few days ago to ask why the American goldfinches had abandoned her thistle feeder. She said she had several Nyjer (thistle) feeders that she kept full, and the finches had been abundant there until recently.
Written by Jim Cirigliano, Jan 20, 2021 Comments »
Winter may be the best time of year for backyard feeding stations, as wild food sources become scarcer. In our yard in northwestern West Virginia, we also take an extra step that is often undervalued: We spread some handfuls of mixed seed on the ground in sheltered spots where we know skulking birds hide.
Posted on Sep 02, 2020 Comments »
This is a question we hear a lot at Watching Backyard Birds. Birders planning an extended vacation often worry about the birds that frequent their feeders. Where will they find food? If they leave, will they ever come back?
Written by Bill Thompson, III, Jun 26, 2020 Comments »
How would you like to feed birds in the very best way possible—in a way that is all natural, environmentally sustainable, inexpensive, and easy to do? Get out the garden gloves and the garden trowel and leave the bird feeders and seed alone for a minute. The very best way to feed birds is to offer them the kinds of foods they would find and consume in nature and that starts with offering bird-friendly plants.
Written by Birdsquatch, Jun 17, 2020 Comments »
Dear Birdsquatch:
My neighbor puts popped popcorn in her bird feeder! I've seen orioles and jays fly off with it, which surprised me. It seems wrong, but what do I know? Is it all right to feed birds popcorn?
—Beth W.,
Parker, Colorado
Written by Dawn Hewitt, May 24, 2020 Comments »
Although it is rare—even unheard of—for humans to become sick from handling a bird feeder, there is no doubt that microorganisms flourish on their surface. That's why it's important for you to wash your hands after handling your feeders, including after refilling them. Much more of a threat are illnesses and diseases spread among the birds that visit and share feeders. To keep your feeder birds healthy, and to prevent the spread of disease, follow these steps.
Written by Birdsquatch, Apr 22, 2020 Comments »
Dear Birdsquatch: My daughter is trying to convince me that grape jelly is bad for orioles. They love it, and I've had 11 Baltimore orioles and 2 orchard orioles at one time in my yard—thanks to grape jelly. Is it really so bad? Should I switch to fresh fruit instead? I'd prefer to stick with what works.
—Carolyn C.,
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Posted on Feb 05, 2020 Comments »
Hulled sunflower seed (which means "without hulls") is often sold as sunflower chips, sunflower hearts, or no-mess sunflower seeds. It is very convenient, and attracts a wide variety of species to your feeder, but it is pricey compared with black-oil sunflower seeds in the shell. Or is it?
Posted on Jan 30, 2020 Comments »
With several types of bird food available on the market today, it's nice to have an option that offers something for everyone eating in your backyard. We've rounded up the most common ingredients of seed blends, their benefits to birds, and how to make sure you're buying the right mix for your backyard birding needs.
Posted on Jan 29, 2020 Comments »
Would you frequent a restaurant that served your sandwich on the floor and dog food on the table? That's the human equivalent of offering birds inexpensive mixed seed in a hanging feeder. Cheap birdseed mixes usually contain a high proportion of milo, wheat, millet, and cracked corn. Such ingredients are fine for many ground-feeding birds, such as doves, blackbirds, quail, and sparrows, but not the favorite foods of birds that naturally eat above the ground, such as chickadees, nuthatches, wrens, and grosbeaks.
Posted on Jan 22, 2020 Comments »
If you look at the contents of a birdseed mix, you might find sunflower seeds, cracked corn, or peanuts. Those are pretty well understood commodities. But you might also find millet or milo. What are they, and who eats them?
Written by Bill Thompson, III, Jan 15, 2020 Comments »
Winter: 'Tis the season for feeding birds all across North America, especially in those regions where it gets mighty cold and snowy. If you are just getting started in bird feeding, or if you are frustrated by a lack of success in attracting winter birds to your feeders, the first thing you need to determine is whether you are feeding the right foods. If you are not giving the birds what they want, you might not have many birds.
Written by Birdsquatch, Dec 04, 2019 Comments »
Help!!!! I read in Bird Watcher's Digest that a cage could be put around feeders to keep grackles from hogging all of the birdseed. I tried using 1x2 mesh, but cardinals wouldn't go through it. I tried painting the edges of the windows to make them easier to find. Still no luck. Any insight you can offer would be greatly appreciated.
Posted on Nov 13, 2019 Comments »
As the weather turns chilly and migration is underway, now is the time to start offering suet once again. If you have any young backyard bird watchers in your house, this DIY recipe for suet balls makes a great craft for a rainy weekend!
Posted on Oct 30, 2019 Comments »
We tend to think a lot about holiday meals and seasonal treats as the year winds down and the weather turns chilly. Have you ever considered if and how the changing seasons impact what birds eat? Get ready to learn about birds' four main diet types!
Posted on Jul 31, 2019 Comments »
Here's a neat tip: Keep your seeds—and the birds visiting them—dry during showers by installing a rain guard above them.
Posted on Jul 10, 2019 Comments »
We've all known the joy of watching birds frequent our backyard feeders. When a flock of rock pigeons moves into the neighborhood, however, you might have a problem on your hands. These birds, the feral progeny of domesticated rock doves, have a reputation for creating large amounts of acidic, property-damaging waste, and for carrying disease.
Posted on May 01, 2019 Comments »
Want to try luring orioles to your feeders? Start out by catching their eye. Tie a brilliant orange ribbon or a bunch of silk flowers to your feeders.
Written by Birdsquatch, Jan 30, 2019 Comments »
Dear Birdsquatch: Is it really necessary to clean my feeders during winter? Doesn't cold weather kill off microbes or bacteria that might cause a problem?
Posted on Jan 09, 2019 Comments »
Many birds prepare for the rigors of winter by adding weight in the form of fat layers. They do this by increasing their feeding rates and by seeking out fat-rich food sources. House finches—which can be a joy or a plague, depending on how many are frequenting your feeder—apparently do not use this strategy. A study of house finches at a feeder in Indiana indicates that the birds do not gain weight with the onset of cold weather.
Written by Birdsquatch, Jan 02, 2019 Comments »
Dear Birdsquatch: My wife and I will be spending two weeks in Ecuador this February. What if there's superfrigid weather while we're gone, or an ice storm? I'm concerned that our feeder birds will starve. Should we hire a pet sitter to come fill our bird feeders while we're away, even though we don't have pets?
Posted on Nov 21, 2018 Comments »
To attract the widest variety of birds, offer food in more than one feeder type. An ideal feeding station has multiple feeders at varying heights, offering several types of food. Consider offering safflower seeds in a tube, a high-quality seed mix in a hopper or a platform, a peanut dispenser, sunflower hearts or bits in a dome-protected dish or satellite feeder, fruit on a tray, and/or mealworms in a shallow bowl.
Written by Birdsquatch, Nov 14, 2018 Comments »
There are a lot of potential answers to this question. Is your seed fresh? If you're using last year's seed, it might be stale, or hollowed out by weevils, or just plain yucky. Trying giving your feeders a good thorough cleaning and a refill with some new seed.
Written by Bill Thompson, III, Nov 07, 2018 Comments »
This winter is going to be an interesting one at bird feeding stations in the eastern half of North America: The famous Finch Forecast from Ron Pittaway in Canada is calling for a southward movement of northern finches. According to various reports, the natural crop of seeds and fruits from birch, alder, spruce, fir, pine, and mountain ash trees is below normal amounts across most of eastern Canada, which will force grosbeaks, siskins, redpolls, crossbills, and purple finches to move south in search of food.
Posted on Oct 17, 2018 Comments »
If you get the chance, take a good look at a woodpecker's tail feathers. From the dinky downy to the massive pileated, woodpecker tail feathers are unlike the feathers on the bird's body or wings: They're super strong and rigid, and collectively serve as a stable prop against a tree trunk as a woodpecker hammers it with its bill.
Written by William Gorman, Oct 10, 2018 Comments »
William Gorman, who lives in a wooded area near Albany, New York, rakes up acorns and saves them to feed wild turkeys. The birds are such regular visitors that he has experimented with their food preferences, also offering cracked corn, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, rice, and more.
Written by Nancy Castillo, Aug 22, 2018 Comments »
Nyjer, or thistle seed, is that tiny, black, oil-rich seed best known for attracting goldfinches to backyards across North America. Nyjer is typically offered in special tube feeders with tiny slots or in mesh sock feeders. Here are a few things that every feeding station manager should know about this popular backyard food.
Written by Bill Thompson, III, Aug 01, 2018 Comments »
Whether you're just getting started in backyard bird feeding or looking to revisit your existing feeding program, this quick overview will help point you toward establishing a backyard cafe that's sure to be the talk of the neighborhood (among the birds, anyway).
Written by Birdsquatch, Apr 18, 2018 Comments »
Dear Birdsquatch: I know you love blueberry pie, and I've heard that orioles love grape jelly. I'm partial to strawberry jelly, though. Is it okay to feed orioles jelly other than grape?
Written by Birdsquatch, Mar 14, 2018 Comments »
Dear Birdsquatch: The snow just melted in my backyard and there's a super nasty pile of seed hulls and bird poop below my feeders. Any idea how I can clean this up? Would you be willing to come and take care of it if I baked you a pie?
Written by Bill Thompson, III, Mar 07, 2018 Comments »
We typically think of the best bird feeding seasons as fall and winter, but it is actually early spring when birds could use the bit of help that our feeders may give them. Two full seasons after the blooming and growing months of summer have ended, natural food supplies will be gone or nearly so. Berries, nuts, seeds, insects, flower nectar, buds, and other natural foods that birds eat will not yet be available or even growing in the cold-winter parts of North America. This makes spring feeding a wonderful opportunity for fans of backyard birds.
Written by Birdsquatch, Feb 21, 2018 Comments »
Dear Birdsquatch: This winter I started feeding my bluebirds homemade suet dough. They really love it! But I recently read somewhere that too much suet can actually be bad for birds. Is this true?
Written by Birdsquatch, Nov 29, 2017 Comments »
Dear Birdsquatch: I'm on a fixed income now that I'm retired, so I'm watching every penny. I really want to get into bird feeding, but it seems like kind of an expensive hobby. Can you give me any advice on how to attract a lot of birds without breaking the bank?
Written by Birdsquatch, Nov 22, 2017 Comments »
Dear Birdsquatch: What do insect-eating species like bluebirds and phoebes eat in the winter? Here in northern Georgia we can get some very cold winter weather, which I'm sure eliminates most of the insect population, yet I often see eastern bluebirds and eastern phoebes around all winter long.
Written by Bill Thompson, III, Nov 15, 2017 Comments »
Winter: 'Tis the season for feeding birds all across North America, especially in those regions where it gets mighty cold and snowy. If you are just getting started in bird feeding, or if you are frustrated by a lack of success in attracting winter birds to your feeders, the first thing you need to determine is whether you are feeding the right foods. If you are not giving the birds what they want, you might not have many birds.
Written by Birdsquatch, Oct 18, 2017 Comments »
Dear Birdsquatch: It seems like I spend a blue million dollars on birdseed every month. I love the woodpeckers and have a nice variety of them at the feeder—even an occasional red-headed—but the blackbirds and house sparrows are eating me out of house and home. Is there something I can do to attract only woodpeckers and, you know, the sweet little birds like chickadees and cardinals, but not starlings or grackles or house sparrows?
Written by Bill Thompson, III, Sep 27, 2017 Comments »
This is a question that birdfeeding enthusiasts have asked themselves and others over the decades. Since backyard bird-feeding exploded as an activity in the early 1980s with the advent of commercially produced feeders and commercially packaged bird seed (along with the development of black-oil sunflower seed as a bird-feeding staple) we’ve all expanded our backyard offerings to include more varieties of seed/food and feeders. But is there such a thing as too many feeders?
Written by Bill Thompson, III, Sep 13, 2017 Comments »
Here's a handy fall tip: While the weather is still fairly mild (and before our first heavy frost), fill a few bags of grapes and pokeweed and save them in the freezer for the birds. Put them out of the freezer in late January or February when you see that the natural food supply is depleted.
Posted on Aug 16, 2017 Comments »
Ants are a common problem at nectar feeders, but a problem with an easy solution: An ant moat! Ants can't swim, so by hanging an ant moat above your nectar feeder, you block their travel route. While the ant problem is easily resolved, bees at the nectar feeder present a more difficult challenge.
Posted on Jul 19, 2017 Comments »
Whether you're just getting started in backyard bird feeding or looking to revisit your existing feeding program, this quick overview will help point you toward establishing a backyard cafe that's sure to be the talk of the neighborhood (among the birds, anyway).
Written by Birdsquatch, May 01, 2017 Comments »
WBB's very own bigfoot, who knows what birds want more than any mere human, addresses housing and feeding: Is it OK to feed birds in the summer? And when is the right time to put out a birdhouse? Good timing on both answers, big guy!
Written by Birdsquatch, Mar 27, 2017 Comments »
Our tall, hairy, and slightly stinky columnist answers reader questions about feeding suet dough, why nest boxes might fail, and pizza. Birdsquatch loves pizza.
Posted on Mar 13, 2017 Comments »
When the cold weather and dreary days seem to be dragging on, a change in routine can renew your energy. Why not make a change that rejuvenates your backyard birds as well? Mealworms aren't just for bluebirds! Putting out mealworms in addition to your regular offerings can attract cardinals, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, sparrows, woodpeckers, mockingbirds, wrens—even the occasional warbler, oriole, vireo, and tanager.
Written by Bill Thompson, III, Jan 16, 2017 Comments »
Peanuts are a vital part of a winter feeding program. They offer a great, high-protein boost to birds weary of cold weather, and help insect-eaters like wrens, woodpeckers, and sometimes even sapsuckers make it through a frigid period, or when ice or deep snow make foraging extra challenging.
Posted on Jan 09, 2017 Comments »
When winter weather comes we all want to do everything we can to provide for our backyard birds. High-energy foods such as suet dough are super attractive to a wide array of species. It can also attract creepers, bluebirds, and shy woodland species that do not normally visit our bird feeders. However, it's important that we don't over feed fatty foods because too much of a good thing can cause health problems for our beloved birds.
Written by Bill Thompson, III, Dec 20, 2016 Comments »
Here's a tip to attract birds in winter! The late John Trott was a wonderful naturalist, writer, photographer, and teacher—and former contributing photographer to Bird Watcher's Digest—who lived in northern Virginia. When age and weather made it difficult for him to go afield to photograph birds, John would bring the birds close to his house. One of his most successful methods for attracting birds was to offer them foods in winter that they could not find naturally at that season.
Posted on Oct 05, 2016 Comments »
If you're looking to add a new suet feeder to your backyard feeding station, there are many considerations. Which ones are the most affordable? Which ones are best for the birds you want to attract? Find tips from the staff of Watching Backyard Birds!
Posted on Sep 14, 2016 Comments »
Suet is the dense, white fat that collects around the kidneys and loins of cattle. It is often sold in grocery stores at the meat counter—raw. It's fine—and very affordable—to offer chunks of raw suet to birds, but it spoils quickly, so plan to offer small bits often. Raw suet melts easily, too, so in bright sun, it can become a putrifying mess.
Posted on May 20, 2016 Comments »
Suet is a high-energy treat for so many bird species, and can bring in some birds that aren't interested in seeds. During cool or cold weather, it's easy and convenient to load a cake into a suet feeder and refill when empty. Birds can continue to enjoy the nutritional benefits of suet through the hottest days of summer, but it must be offered more cautiously, and usually, in smaller quantities.
Written by Bill Thompson, III, Mar 17, 2016 Comments »
If I were to pick only one food to offer at my feeding station, it would be sunflower hearts. Yes, they're expensive, but a bag of sunflower hearts (no shells, just the meat of the seed) lasts more than three times as long as a bag of seeds with shells.
Written by Bill Thompson, III, Mar 14, 2016 Comments »
When I was in college, my biology instructor, while showing us how to set live traps for small mammals, referred to peanut butter as "the universal bait." "You can catch anything from an elephant to a shrew with peanut butter," he stated.
Posted on Feb 26, 2016 Comments »
Feed your birds suet. While most humans don’t want a lot of fat in their diet, for birds in winter, fat is an excellent source of energy. Suet is, simply, fat. More specifically, it’s the fat that forms around the kidneys of beef cattle. Butchers remove this stuff, and back when every neighborhood had a butcher shop, they used to give it away to bird watchers. Then grocery stores got smart and started selling suet.
Written by Bill Thompson, III, Jan 18, 2016 Comments »
As the weather turns cold and snowy, not all birds will venture to your feeder. Some prefer to skulk in the thickets, brambles, and other secure places. To better accommodate these species, consider tossing a few handfuls of mixed seed, sunflower bits, peanuts, or cracked corn under your deck, in your hedges and bushes, or even along the edge of a wooded area.
Written by Bill Thompson, III, Dec 21, 2015 Comments »
When winter weather comes we all want to do everything we can to provide for our backyard birds. But sometimes our offerings can be too much of a good thing. It's important that we don't over feed fatty foods because too much of a good thing can cause health problems for our beloved birds.
Posted on Oct 13, 2015 Comments »
WBB contributor Bob Heltman noted that the pileated woodpeckers visiting his suet feeder would fold themselves into a "C" shape when partaking from the offerings in the metal mesh cage. The birds looked awkward and uncomfortable. He began to wonder if a board attached to the suet holder would give a more comfortable perch for these big birds.
Posted on Mar 02, 2015 Comments »
Would you frequent a restaurant that served your sandwich on the floor and dog food on the table? That's the human equivalent of offering birds inexpensive mixed seed in a hanging feeder. Cheap birdseed mixes usually contain a high proportion of milo, wheat, millet, and cracked corn. Such ingredients are fine for many ground-feeding birds, such as doves, blackbirds, quail, and sparrows, but not the favorite foods of birds that naturally eat above the ground, such as chickadees, nuthatches, wrens, and grosbeaks.
Posted on Feb 19, 2015 Comments »
When you make your breakfast eggs, save the eggshells! We can hear you asking: "What? Why?" The answer is they are a great addition to your bird-feeding program.
Posted on Jan 15, 2015 Comments »
Hulled sunflower seed (which means "without hulls") is often sold as sunflower chips, sunflower hearts, or no-mess sunflower seeds. It is very convenient, and attracts a wide variety of species to your feeder, but is pricy compared with black-oil sunflower seeds in the shell. Or is it?
Posted on Dec 05, 2014 Comments »
The seeds of evening primrose can be a valuable food source for birds in cold climates throughout North America. Each flower produces hundreds of seeds, and when the flower dies, it holds on to some and drops others. The stalks of dead evening primrose are "Eat Here" signs to songbirds, marking a likely food source at the base.
Posted on Oct 02, 2014 Comments »
As you scrape out pumpkin guts for a pie or jack-o'-lantern, don't throw away the seeds! Don't even compost them! Squash seeds of any sort, including pumpkins, are a high protein treat for birds.
Posted on Jan 30, 2014 Comments »
Peanuts out of their shells are a great attractant for chickadees, nuthatches, titmice, and woodpeckers. Feed them in a mesh onion bag, in a wire suet feeder, or in a feeder specifically designed for offering shelled peanuts to wild birds.
Written by Nancy Castillo, Jan 22, 2014 Comments »
Winter can bring more northerly sparrows into your yard. Here's how you can make your yard more inviting for native sparrows.
Posted on Dec 12, 2013 Comments »
We're taking an informal survey of our readers: Are you noticing a reduced number of northern cardinals at your feeders? Several staffers here at BWD/WBB headquarters are finding very few cardinals at their feeders. Please share your cardinal report with us! Are your cardinal numbers lower, higher, or about the same as last year? And please tell us where you're located.
Written by William Greene, Nov 14, 2013 Comments »
As a science teacher, I am always looking for ways to get people interested in science and the natural world, so I periodically invite groups down to my "camp" in Keister, West Virginia, on the Greenbrier River. Because my students and friends showed an interest in birds, I put up a small feeder filled with sunflower seed. Sure enough, the feeder attracted birds—so many, in fact, that I had to refill the feeder a couple of times a week.
Written by Kyle Carlsen, Nov 06, 2013 Comments »
You may not think of turkeys, quail, and other upland gamebirds as backyard birds, but in many areas of North America, birders can easily lure these species to their backyard feeding stations.
Written by Nancy Castillo, Sep 25, 2013 Comments »
Nyjer, or thistle seed, is that tiny, black, oil-rich seed best known for attracting goldfinches to backyards across North America. Nyjer is typically offered in special tube feeders with tiny slots or in mesh sock feeders. Here are a few things that every feeding station manager should know about this popular backyard food.
Posted on Aug 29, 2013 Comments »
Research on the impact of bird feeding has shown that feeders can sometimes be a source of disease for the birds visiting them. There is good news, too: With minimal effort, it's easy to provide a safe, healthy feeding station for birds.
Posted on Jul 26, 2013 Comments »
Whether you're just getting started in backyard bird feeding or looking to revisit your existing feeding program, this quick overview will help point you toward establishing a backyard cafe that's sure to be the talk of the neighborhood (among the birds, anyway).
Posted on May 29, 2013 Comments »
Our bird feeding chart provides general food preferences for the most common feeder birds of North America. Although there are no guaranteed methods for attracting certain birds to your feeders, the presence of water, adaquate habitat or cover, and the birds' preferred foods will enhance the attractiveness of your yard. Foods are listed in approximate order of preference.
New On This Site
Readers Ask: Should I Clean Out Last Year's Nest Box? added on Mar 31, 2021
Building a Better Bird House added on Mar 24, 2021- Save Your Eggshells for the Birds! added on Mar 17, 2021
Memorable Spring Visitors added in the gallery by Deanna Mayhew on Jul 1, 2020
Fresh out of the Nest added in the gallery by Deanna Mayhew on Jul 1, 2020- Robin Feast added in the gallery by Tylor Birmingham on May 26, 2020
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