The winter season is an excellent time for observing the purple sandpiper here in Maine. Well on the coast that is. I had the opportunity to visit the area around mid-December of last year. To be exact, I visited the Rockland Harbor Breakwater Lighthouse. The Rockland Breakwater is open to the public every day. You […]
Birds
This category contains all my blog posts about birds and birding. In my posts, I discuss how to attract birds to your yard, the many different species of backyard birds, bird photography, and more.
The Melodious Song Sparrow
The song sparrow derives its name from its colorful repertoire of songs. These birds are one of the most familiar types of sparrows in North America. They are easily one of the most abundant, variable, and adaptable species of sparrow and interestingly enough can look much different in different areas of the country. Even though […]
The Delightful Tufted Titmouse
A petite grayish-colored bird with expressive and large doll-like eyes, a short beak, and an elegant crest give these birds a quiet but eager expression. The tufted titmouse Baeolophus bicolor is a small North American songbird, a species in the tit and chickadee family Paridae. Its genus name Baeolophus hails from two Greek words for […]
The Vibrant American Goldfinch
Not only are American goldfinches striking in appearance, but these small North American songbirds also exude enthusiasm and liveliness. These finches are a welcomed sight and common visitors at feeders, where they enjoy consuming black sunflower seeds and nyjer. I particularly enjoy viewing the spring males when they are at their brightest yellow. The females […]
How to Make Pine Cone Bird Feeders
Although anytime is the perfect time to make homemade pine cone bird feeders, I wanted to make sure I provided my black-capped chickadees with festive treats for the holidays. Making pine cone feeders is an easy-to-make and inexpensive project to add an exciting and new way to feed your bird visitors in your yard. These […]
The Distinctive Black-and-white Warbler
The Black-and-white warbler is distinguished from other warbler species by its distinctive plumage of black and white zebra-like stripes and methodical feeding habits similar to that of the nuthatch Sittidae or creeper Certhiidae. Few other warblers species forage in this manner. These warblers arrive in the North during the early spring, usually by mid-to-late April. […]
The Downy Woodpecker: North America’s Smallest Woodpecker
As the smallest woodpecker in North America, the downy woodpecker Picoides pubescens is a common breeding and resident species here in the United States. I frequently observe and photograph these little birds here in my home state of Maine. Downy woodpeckers are well-known, given credit to their common habits and regular visits to bird feeders, […]
It’s Fledgling Time
Yes, folks, it’s that time of year again, when nestlings become fledglings and they finally leave the nest for good. You may have noticed an increase of different-looking birds in your yard and that is because you are observing new birds about to make their way out in the world. Fledglings can be a bit […]
Encountering a Hermit Thrush in the Woods
Although the hermit thrush doesn’t migrate very far for the winter, I usually don’t see them here in our woods until the early part of spring. I will spot them hopping around on the ground while we still have a small amount of snow on the ground, searching for food, or beginning to sing in […]
The Red-breasted Nuthatch and Its Quirky Behavior
Before moving to Maine, I had never seen a red-breasted nuthatch. I was quite familiar with white-breasted nuthatches, as they had always come to my feeders when I lived elsewhere. To say the least, I was quite excited when I spotted my first red-breasted nuthatch at my feeders. With little fear of humans, I also […]
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