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Contributing Editor Elece Hollis

 

Backyard Bird Watching

Informative articles and inspirational essays about the art and science of bird watching

 

Garden and Hearth> Arts, Crafts & Hobbies>Bird-Watching


Bird Advice

Birdhouse Maintenance and Cleaning

This summer I learned the importance of cleaning and maintenance of birdhouses. The bluebirds built a nest this spring, but I never saw them coming and going to feed the nestlings. I wondered how the clutch had turned out. Would I have bluebirds in the house again next spring?


Owl Houses

Have you considered building an owl house? Of the 18 species of owls found in North America, Barred Owls, Barn Owls, Northern Saw-whet Owls, and Eastern and Western Screech Owls are the ones most likely to take up residence in a birdhouse or nesting box.



Bird Books

The Bluebird Book by Donald and Lillian Stokes arrived in my mailbox today. Oh, the excitement to add birdwatching books to my home library! Over the years I have searched out and purchased bird books for my collection, so that now I have a small collection of birding references books to guide me in my hobby.


Bird in the House

The bird flew from the curtain rod to the back of my rocking chair. As I approached, he flew right into the closed window pane. What do you do if a bird gets inside the house? What if a hummingbird gets into your glassed-in porch or your garage?


How to Attract Orioles

Orioles are bright colored songbirds that feed on nectar. You might try attracting this bright bird to your backyard.


ScarecrowScarecrows

Scarecrows are for the birds—literally. No birds I have ever met are scared of scarecrows! So, a scarecrow can be a way to attract birds to your yard where you can enjoy watching them.


Bird MigrationBird Migration

Fall is here and it is time for the hummingbirds to head south on their yearly winter migration. They will fly hundreds of miles. How they make it is more than one can imagine. Some believe the tiny almost weightless birds are swept along by the air currents of the upper atmosphere.


Dandelions, Worms, and Grubs

Your lawn is like a home-town café for birds, with dandelions, worms, grubs and bugs on the menu. Even without bird feeders installed, if you maintain a mown lawn with shrubs and trees close by for safety’s sake, birds will come to your lawn to harvest their favorite tidbits.


Bird Feathers—Facts and Fluff

Birds are the only creatures that sports feathers. This fact alone intrigues us. There is a fascination man has with the flight of birds that makes us admire the power and beauty of the wing and, in turn, the wonder of feathers.


Birding Binoculars—How to Choose Them

My first set of birding binoculars were a gift from my husband. They came in a bright pink bag with a card that read “Happy Bird-day to you!” I was amazed at how much binoculars have added to the fun of bird watching.


Feeding American Goldfinches

The American Goldfinch, Spinus tristis, is one of the common birds that has had a name change in recent years. The little fellow was once called the common goldfinch, although there is not much common about its coloring or feeding habits.


The Use and Care of Birding Binoculars

Binoculars are a great aid to the art of bird watching, but only if you know how to adjust and focus them correctly for a clear view. Every birdwatcher should know how to care for and efficiently use his birding binoculars.


Providing Nesting Materials

“Yes, the sparrow has found a house and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young…” Psalm 84:3

Why would birds want to nest in your yard? How can you draw them in and entice them to stay where you can observe them to your heart’s content? Of course, putting out feeders and keeping  . . .


Attracting Birds with Spring Plantings

Bird feeders aren’t the only way to bring birds close enough to watch from your kitchen windows. Set out the right flowers, flowering shrubs and bulbs and you will have plenty of feathered visitors—some for the blossoms, some for the foliage, some for seeds and some for the insects the plants attract.


Feeding Birds with Suet

Suet is one of best food choices for attracting woodpeckers to your backyard. Suet cakes with seeds and berries can be purchased. They need only be unwrapped and inserted into wire suet baskets or some receptacle to keep large birds from swiping the whole cake and hung in a tree.


Feeding Hummingbirds

England hasn’t got any hummingbirds. You couldn’t sell hummingbird feeders there, nor in Africa, France, Italy, or Germany. Hummers are purely found in North, Central and South America.

 

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