Home › Archives for April 2011

How to Participate in NestWatch

NestWatch is a nest-monitoring project developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in collaboration with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, and funded by the National Science Foundation.NestWatch is a “Citizen scientists” project where people across the country can monitor nests in their area and report their findings...
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What birds drink nectar?

It's a Sweet Month to Feed the BirdsSpring migration is underway, and a countless number of birds are heading north to their nesting territories.Fortunately, two of the hobby's favorite birds, hummingbirds and orioles, can be immediately attracted to feeders with nectar (and fruit and jelly for orioles), making it a sweet...
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Adopt the pace of nature: Her secret is patience. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

A rhododendron bud lavender-tipped. Soon a glory of blooms to clash with the cardinals and gladden the hummingbirds! ~Dave Be...
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New Black and White Bird

Hi Sarah! I saw where you reposted on your Facebook page a link to my sighting of the merganser duck and ducklings. It was a strange coincidence that it was exactly one year ago when I first saw them and I saw them again this past Saturday. The mother has 6 babies which are growing up and getting pretty big. I’m attaching...
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Nesting Questions

I found a pile of female cardinal feathers in the yard last month. I had been watching the male and female bouncing around the evergreens feeding each other and then one day the male was all alone calling for a mate. It took him about a month to find a new female. Yesterday we watched the new female build a nest nearby...
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Sad News: Female Eagle Struck By Plane

by Eagles at Norfolk Botanical Garden on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 3:34pm NORFOLK, VA (April 26, 2011) – This morning an adult bald eagle was struck and killed by an incoming airplane at Norfolk International Airport. The bird was the female of the nesting pair from Norfolk Botanical Garden (NBG). The strike...
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What Bird is Singing Outside My Window: How to identify birds' songs

@birdsunlimited Any good starting tips for identifying what is singing outside my window in the morning? Mason, MI Identifying birds by ear is a skill that you can learn with a little practice. 1. There are a lot of learning devices. Wild Birds Unlimited has bird song CDs available including one that has Michigan birds...
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Fun Facts on Red-winged Blackbirds

How does a female redwing blackbird look? ~ Wyandotte, Michigan What do red winged blackbirds eat? ~ Mountain Iron, MinnesotaThe Red-winged Blackbird male is unmistakable for most Michigan residents. The pure black bird with bright red shoulder patches edged in yellow is hard to miss. The female and juvenile are less obvious....
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Late Winter & Early Spring

I took advantage of milder days during winter and early spring to teach new assistants the fine art of bird extraction from mist nets at my feeder. I hoped to capture some birds we never see in our nets on Wing Island, such as Pine Siskins and Common Redpolls. On 2 March, 23 birds of 10 species were handled with...
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Sparrows Native to mid-Michigan

Image via WikipediaI woke up this morning to the song of the White-throated Sparrow. They have a high whistle that sounds like Oh-sweet-canada-canada or Old-Sam-Peabody-Peabody. Click HERE to listen.  I get excited when I see these birds because they are only in mid-Michigan from mid-April to late May. Then the birds...
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How Birds Court

Birds court one another with dances, songs and building nests! Image by linda yvonne via FlickrNow is the time of year when male wild birds begin to draw the attention of females, and their courtship practices can be as fascinating as they are complex.Originally scientists thought that many birds, such as geese, swans...
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Barn swallow and tree swallows at the Wetlands!

Sarah, Just thought you would like to know that Spring is in full swing at the Tollgate Wetlands near Groesbeck Golf Course. I took this picture last night and really appreciated the beauty of these birds. I have not seen them at the wetlands before. It was really fun watching them swoop for insects just above the water....
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Why are they called Lenten Roses?

Early Riser in the GardenLenten Roses announce the arrival of spring with their nodding green flowers, some with pink tinges.Native to much of Europe, the Lenten Rose (Hellebore) has evergreen foliage with beautiful winter or early spring blossoms. The flower colors are provided by sepals, structures that resemble petals....
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Tips to keep woodpecker from damaging your house

How do you stop woodpeckers from pecking on the house? ~ Littleton, Colorado Woodpeckers can cause a great deal of property damage and sleepless mornings. In one study, the birds stopped drumming 50 percent of the time within two weeks or so whether the homeowners did anything or not. Hopefully I can suggest a solution...
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Mysterious Regurgitated Nuggets Left Behind at Birdfeeder

I live in Arkansas with several acres and forest surrounding my land. I have feeders, platform and others out yearly. I have noticed this past week, several what appeared to be regurgitated balls in the platform feeder. I've never seen this before and it happened just over nite and there were lots of the balls in 2 different...
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