A Surprise Zinnia Goldfinch Discovery This year, in addition to the returning perennials and new annual plants, my wife had a pack of mixed zinnias. I think we had it left over from last year. She decided it couldn't hurt to put them out in our baskets. It has turned out to be a pleasant zinnia goldfinch surprise! Let me tell you about it. I'll Just Plant a Few Seeds in … [Read more...] about The Zinnia Goldfinch Surprise
Bird Feeding
The Tufted Titmouse That Wouldn’t Quit – Part 2
Will I Have a Tufted Titmouse Nest or Not? In my last post, I told you about my jubilation over thinking I was going to finally have a tufted titmouse family in my back yard. I told you about the odd first attempt at a nest that was seemingly abandoned. And how, after over a week of no activity, I decided to clean out the nest so any other bird thinking about nesting … [Read more...] about The Tufted Titmouse That Wouldn’t Quit – Part 2
Help Me Stop Window Collisions!
Window collisions take so many birds' lives. You hope it won't happen to you. Well, it happened to me the other day. Here is my story. That Ominous Thud The morning started out like any other. My wife and I were enjoying our morning coffee and watching "Leave It To Beaver" reruns on MeTV. It was a cold but bright morning. The birds had already started feeding in the back … [Read more...] about Help Me Stop Window Collisions!
My 2018 Goldfinch Report
Goldfinch Report Is Good This Year! I've made a goldfinch report at various times in the blog. I've written about years where the feeder traffic was enormous and other years where it was very sparse. There's nothing really different about years except possibly the weather. I'll talk about the reasons why I think the goldfinch report varies and some tips to make sure you're … [Read more...] about My 2018 Goldfinch Report
Summer Bird Feeding Tips
Bird Feeding In Summer Doesn't Have To Be Hard I know I've already written about the benefits of adding water to attract birds but let me give you a quick rundown of five things I recommend for bird feeding in summer. If you offer hummingbird nectar, make sure to change it every 3-5 days depending on how warm it is in your neck of the woods. Fill your feeders with no … [Read more...] about Summer Bird Feeding Tips
I’m Being Overrun By Goldfinches! Here’s How You Can Too
No Goldfinches? Like a lot of people I've been talking to this year, I've had a real challenge getting goldfinches into my back yard. I've tried cleaning, changing seed, changing seed brands and praying. Up until a couple of weeks ago, it didn't seem like there was any way to change this trend. One day, I was out in my garage inventorying my feeders and supplies. I came … [Read more...] about I’m Being Overrun By Goldfinches! Here’s How You Can Too
How To Feed Squirrels Successfully
To Feed or Not To Feed Squirrels? As many of you have already guessed, I have squirrels in my back yard and have since I started feeding birds in 2003. I've written before about their antics and some of the challenges with them. I've said before that it's not something you should do without doing some research first. If you want to feed squirrels you do need to understand what … [Read more...] about How To Feed Squirrels Successfully
Why I Love Titmice
As we tend to our feeders, we realize we're helping out our friends by giving them a ready source of food, water, cover and sanctuary. What we tend to forget sometimes is how much they give us back in return. One of my favorite back yard visitors is titmice. Let me give you a few reasons why this is. They Put You In Your Place How many times have you snuck up on a feeding … [Read more...] about Why I Love Titmice