Random Sightings
From Our Gallery
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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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Shadow and Reflection
Posted by macrogears, Oct 11, 2014.
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Wren on the Hunt
Posted by Bret Goddard, Sep 24, 2014.
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Bald Eagle preparing to catch a fish in the upper Mississippi River.
Posted by Michael McBride, Aug 08, 2014.
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Cardinal feeding a juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird hatched in the Cardinal's nest.
Posted by Michael McBride, Aug 08, 2014.
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Save some for me.. or else
Posted by Bret Goddard, Jun 25, 2014.
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Feed Me, Dad!
Posted by Amy Kane, Jun 16, 2014.
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Website Features
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 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 Feb 03, 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 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 Jim Cirigliano, Oct 30, 2013 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.
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
The Cranky Thrasher added on Jun 24, 2017
Eleven Exceptional Nest Builders added on Jun 21, 2017
Hummingbird Nectar Recipe added on Jun 14, 2017
What am I? added in the gallery by Bret Goddard on Dec 7, 2016- Male Downy Woodpecker added in the gallery by Bret Goddard on Nov 28, 2016
Coopers Hawk added in the gallery by Bret Goddard on Nov 28, 2016
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