There have been over 250 reports of snowy owls in Minnesota this winter (unfortunately, none in my back yard.) Because of that, there has been an increase in incidents of baiting, although it’s something has been going on for a … Continue reading
One of the things about having bird feeders is that they will not only attract songbirds, but often will provide some good hunting opportunities for raptors. In our area the types of hawk that we find stalking bird feeders are … Continue reading
It’s been a pretty cold start to the winter. Right now we have some low temperatures forecast that haven’t been seen in about 20 years (before I moved to the midwest.) I think the coldest I’ve experienced has been -22F … Continue reading
We had an interesting visitor at the feeders this week. As you may have read in my 2013 Yard Bird Wish List post, I have been hoping for a Carolina wren. When I saw this bird on Feeder Cam, I … Continue reading
Summer is such a nice time in the garden. Many of the flowers are in bloom, the grasses are really starting to come in, and there is a lot of bird and insect activity. We have TONS of bees, and … Continue reading
It’s mid July and this is the time of year when bird activity starts to slow down at the feeders. The main push of nesting is over and most species are taking care of their fledglings. It’s fun to watch … Continue reading
We still have some yellow-rumped warblers hanging around, but the feeding frenzy has died down. Fox sparrows are long gone, while other migrating native sparrows have arrived, including white-throated, white-crowned, Harris’s and Lincoln’s. Harris’s sparrows have a cool song that … Continue reading
A few weeks ago we were hosting fox sparrows, who finally moved on after about two weeks of being very well taken care of in our yard. It seemed that the weather would improve, and it did briefly, only to … Continue reading
Now that most of the snow has melted, robins are everywhere. They may be the most noticeable thrush around, but they aren’t the only ones. Because of the long lasting winter, other migrants have stacked up in the area, waiting … Continue reading
The snow has pretty much all melted, but we have yet another winter storm on the way. I’ve been spreading seed, raisins, dried mealworms and suet pellets on the ground for the fox sparrows, robins and hermit thrush (yes, I … Continue reading