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Winter Owls
Written by Bill Thompson, III, Feb 20, 2017 Comments »
Many owls begin nesting in late winter. Now is the ideal time to listen for them calling at night if you have an older pine stand or deciduous woods nearby. Owls will call all night, but the first hour of dark and the last hour before sunrise are the best times to listen.
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Readers Write: Waiting in Line
Written by Michael Hurst, Dec 19, 2014 Comments »
When my son, Ryan, and daughter, Amanda, were around 5 and 3 years old, we built our first squirrel box as a family project. Soon after placing it high in our maple trees, squirrels began to entertain as we watched their babies grow and frolic in and on top of the box—our gift to them.

Semi-retired 35 years later, I decided to relive the good times past by placing a new squirrel box in our mulberry tree.
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Watching Backyard Birds Across the Country
Written by Kathie Adams Brown, Nov 21, 2014 Comments »
I have been watching birds in several yards as my husband and I have relocated around the country. Feeding and watching birds give me a sense of stability and pleasure as we move from state to state. Most recently I have watched and photographed birds in Tucson, Arizona; Andover, Massachusetts; and now on the coast of Maine!
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Is There a Snowbird at Your Feeder?
Posted on Nov 06, 2014 Comments »
For many of us, winter is the only time we have dark-eyed juncos around. They form large flocks in backyards, parks, and pastures, and along rural roadsides and woodland edges in just about every corner of the United States except southern Florida. Watch for the flash of white from their tail feathers as they dart between brush piles or scatter from feeding on the ground beneath a bird feeder.
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The Owl in the Flicker Box
Written by Kathy Crowe Finholm, May 28, 2014 Comments »
A few Aprils ago, WBB contributor Kathy Crowe Finholm hung a nest box on the back side of her garage. A few years later, she hosted a family of northern saw-whet owls!
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Four Backyard Birds to Watch for This Spring
Written by Kyle Carlsen, Apr 17, 2014 Comments »
No matter where in North America you reside, chances are that you're enjoying (or are about to enjoy) the warmer temperatures of spring. This also means you're noticing (or are about to notice) changes in the birds in your backyard. Here are a few of the many interesting species to watch for in birdy backyards across the continent this spring.
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It's Raining Orioles!
Written by Cathy Priebe, Apr 04, 2014 Comments »
The very first time I saw a Baltimore oriole was when it landed on my hummingbird feeder one spring. I was immediately hooked. I had to have this bird in my yard! For the next five years, I placed numerous orange slices on tree limbs and special oriole feeders filled with orange nectar on hooks all over the yard-to no avail.
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Attention, Readers and Web Visitors!
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.
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2012—A Great Year for Bird Babies
Written by Julie A. Gidwitz, Mar 20, 2013 Comments »
In our new Photo Blog segment, featured Blogger Julie Gidwitz shares captivating photos of juvenile phoebes, bluebirds, hummingbirds, and more.
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  • Re: 8 Common Bird-feeding Myths Debunked » Watching Backyard Birds.com
    That doesn't address my concern about the bird houses. I'm on a tiny piece of property (40x100) so there's not much room to plant a heck of a lot or places birds could put nests once the bird houses are gone.
    by Linda DiPierro, Mon, 25 May 2020
  • Re: 8 Common Bird-feeding Myths Debunked » Watching Backyard Birds.com
    Plant some native plants in your yard that will attract pollinators and produce berries and nuts. There should be a local society that has a list of recommended plants, shrubs, and trees.
    by Ladylanita, Mon, 25 May 2020
  • Re: 8 Common Bird-feeding Myths Debunked » Watching Backyard Birds.com
    Same concerns here. See above post. For your situation I would consider planting a few native plants that will naturally produce berries and seeds that the birds in your area need to survive. Try planting some that will yield foods for all seasons.
    by Ladylanita, Mon, 25 May 2020
  • Re: 8 Common Bird-feeding Myths Debunked » Watching Backyard Birds.com
    I've thought about this myself. One thing I considered doing is leaving behind some bird food and a gift card to my local wild bird store with a note asking the new homeowners to please continue feeding the birds. Don't know how well that work but it's worth a try.
    by Ladylanita, Mon, 25 May 2020
  • Re: Downy is Dinky, Hairy is Huge » Watching Backyard Birds.com
    thanks for the article. I believe that I may have spotted my first hairy woodpecker this morning. we see the downy woodpecker often. it's small. the hairy woodpecker, when compared with the downy, is HUGE. also, the downy feeds at the feeder like most birds--standing upright. This bird, because of its size, hung from the feeder perch with most of it's body below the feeder--like the red belly woodpeckers that we see often. we live is strasburg va. is it possible that we saw a hairy woodpecker this morning?
    by PEretired, Sat, 23 May 2020
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