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Ask Birdsquatch: Wood Duck Boxes
Written by Birdsquatch, Mar 18, 2020 Comments »

Dear Birdsquatch: I want to put up some wood duck boxes in my large, wooded backyard. However the nearest body of water (a wooded pond in a county park) is more than a half-mile away from my property. Am I being foolish? Do I need to ask permission to put the boxes on the park property where the pond is?

—Dawn, Who is Desirous of Ducks
Lawton, Oklahoma

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Ask Birdsquatch: Furry Enlightenment
Written by Birdsquatch, Mar 04, 2020 Comments »

Hey Furball:

I want to give the birds some natural nesting material this spring. Can I put out the long gray hairs that were just cut from my head? I decided it was time to lose the mullet. I’m looking for enlightenment here. You’re so hairy I figured you’d know.

—Dandy Dan
Hattiesburg, Mississippi

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Dear Birdsquatch: Is It OK to Check Bird Nests?
Written by Birdsquatch, Jul 18, 2018 Comments »
Dear Birdsquatch: I want to be a good landlord to my nesting birds. Is it OK to check on the progress of the nests or will I disturb the birds?
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Top Ten Nest Box Tips
Written by Bill Thompson, III, Apr 11, 2018 Comments »
So you want to be a landlord to the birds, eh? Well, it's not as easy as falling off a log. It's no accident that the most diligent landlords often have the highest rates for fledging healthy young birds. The good news is that diligence as a bird landlord need not be painful or overly difficult. Below are my Top Ten Nest Box Tips for backyard landlords.
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Dear Birdsquatch: Nest Box Dilemma!
Written by Birdsquatch, Feb 28, 2018 Comments »
Dear Birdsquatch: I have put up nearly a dozen bluebird boxes along my rural road over the past five years. I've seen bluebirds on them and even going in, but I have yet to see any baby bluebirds, despite watching the boxes on a regular basis. I haven't looked inside them because I don't want to scare them away. Am I doing something wrong?
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Birdsquatch: Bird Feeding and Housing
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!
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Ask Birdsquatch: Backyard Murder Mystery—Who Poked Holes in These Birds' Eggs?
Written by Birdsquatch, Apr 17, 2017 Comments »
A reader finds an empty chickadee nest and six eggs pierced through, lying on the ground. Could another bird be the culprit? Birdsquatch offers his insight on this backyard murder mystery.
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Help Birds in Spring: Supply Nest-building Necessities
Posted on Mar 04, 2016 Comments »
Spring is the start of the breeding season for most of our North American birds. They pair up with mates, build nests, lay eggs, raise young, and then some of them repeat the cycle—as many as three times. There are things you can do to help!
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House Wren Nesting Material
Posted on Sep 08, 2015 Comments »
Have you ever looked at house wren nesting material? After a pair of house wrens left his backyard nesting box, contributor Greg C. Greer had an opportunity to study the materials they used. What he found surprised him.
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Weird Nests
Posted on May 21, 2015 Comments »
Not all birds make neat, cup-shaped nests, or carve out hollows in trees. Some use unusual materials and make truly odd creations.
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The Latest Comments

  • Re: Feeding Wild Turkeys in My Yard » Watching Backyard Birds.com
    I live in Southeastern Massachusetts. Four "orphaned" very young poults (males) showed up in my yard about a year ago. They have been around all year. I do feed them cracked corn, and they come when I call for them. I don't want to over- domesticate them, but they do recognize me as the lady that brings food. They roost in the big oak trees at night. I have a 1 acre lot, with many acres of protected forest out back and a pond on the property.Lately, during mating season, I have had hens in the yard too. We've counted as many as 7 Toms and hens, but today, had just the one stalwart (a very robust Tom) that comes everyday. One of the Toms that has recently made an appearance is wounded, limping with an obvious predator wound. The local wildlife experts say he should make a full recovery, and that he's best left to recover with his flock.I find them to be interesting and beautiful birds.
    by Heather Cole, Mon, 06 Apr 2020
  • Re: 8 Common Bird-feeding Myths Debunked » Watching Backyard Birds.com
    You have to put food in it.
    by Truckee Man, Mon, 06 Apr 2020
  • Re: Why Do Birds Sing? » Watching Backyard Birds.com
    Love listeningto both songs and calls from birds in our woody neighborhood. The two types of birds I immediately recognize are the cardinals and the chickadees. Yesterday afternoon too, I heard a woodpecker. Then it’s time to check the birdfeeders and the birdbath. Then In no time at all the cardinals and chickadees arrive, as if they had been watching me. As it gets busier around the feeders, I also hear thé screeching of the blue jays. I even saw a couple of robins checking out our lawn....spring has arrived as the last pat gesofisticeerde snow and ice melt away.
    by louisabt, Sun, 08 Mar 2020
  • Re: It's Always a Good Time for a Nest Box! » Watching Backyard Birds.com
    I am wondering about existing nests for Phoebes. I have two outdoor aisle entries to my barn and there are old Phoebe nests up. They ignore them each year and build new nests adjacent to the old, but space is running out. Should I knock down the old nests so they can rebuild?
    by [email protected], Sun, 02 Feb 2020
  • Re: It's Always a Good Time for a Nest Box! » Watching Backyard Birds.com
    Just wondering, should we put anything in the bottom of the box...twigs, clippings, leaves....anything at all?
    by Hebb, Tue, 28 Jan 2020
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