Friend In Need Knocks On The Door It was mid morning last Saturday. I was working on my computer upstairs and my wife was busy watering and pruning the plants in the front beds. I heard a sound I couldn't quite identify and went back to work. In a few minutes, my wife called up to me that I needed to come look on the front porch. When I looked through the storm door I saw a … [Read more...] about A Friend In Need
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Are You Hand Feeding Birds?
At some point everyone who sets up bird feeding stations wants to know if it's possible to hand feed their little visitors. They build a bond with them and desire a more personal connection. The good news is that it is possible to do. Depending on which approach you take you may even be able to feed them the first day you try. Let's take a look at a couple of these. When … [Read more...] about Are You Hand Feeding Birds?
Do You Have Any Resident Bluebirds?
I have a pair of bluebirds who like to come and check in on me from time to time whose tale needs to be told. About four years ago, I had my first mating pair of Eastern Bluebirds come and make home in one of the two bluebird houses I have in my back yard. I'd had others come by in late winter, take a look quickly at both houses and never return. Chickadees have nested … [Read more...] about Do You Have Any Resident Bluebirds?
I Can’t Wait For My Winter Birds To Return
I enjoy feeding and watching birds all year long. Every year I see something I haven't before and my catalog grows a little bigger. This past year I saw my first Blue Grosbeak during the change from winter to spring. Our yard backs up to woods so I've also had the chance to see birds that are not feeder birds and tend to be brush dwellers and timid. You know, the birds you … [Read more...] about I Can’t Wait For My Winter Birds To Return
Keep Your Hummingbird Feeders Up Until First Frost
Most of us can't wait until April every year to start putting out our Hummingbird feeders. We love attracting those little birds that are so much fun to watch. I live in the South near Nashville where we get a ton of the Ruby Throated Hummingbirds. We laugh when they hover around us chirping and flitting seemingly suspended in mid air. They add a whole other dimension to … [Read more...] about Keep Your Hummingbird Feeders Up Until First Frost
Take Down Your Feeders At First Sign Of House Finch Eye Disease
House Finch Eye Disease If you live in North America and feed with sunflower seeds, chances are you've seen your share of house finches. These small but vocal visitors generally travel in small flocks during most of the year. Here is a link to pictures of both the male and female from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology site. If you've had a ton of them, you've probably seen some … [Read more...] about Take Down Your Feeders At First Sign Of House Finch Eye Disease
Spending Some Time With A Cooper’s Hawk
I had a very unusual experience yesterday. Because I feed birds in my backyard, we get an occasional visit from our friendly neighborhood Cooper's Hawk. Our lot backs up to woods so sometimes he's able to sneak into a tree unnoticed. Luckily for the other birds, we have a pretty well established Blue Jay alarm network in place. Whenever they see the hawk, they immediately … [Read more...] about Spending Some Time With A Cooper’s Hawk
Welcome to The BirdOculars Site!
What Are BirdOculars Anyway? BirdOculars is a poor attempt at humor. Hoping to help the visitor imagine birding binoculars. This site was started in 2009 and was set up exclusively to help people learn about birding optics. Since that time, I realized that readers had all sorts of problems feeding birds that needed to be addressed. Since I already had about six years … [Read more...] about Welcome to The BirdOculars Site!