BirdOculars

Helping Make Your Back Yard a Retreat

bird conservation

My Early Bird Bluebirds

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My Bluebird History In my twenty years of feeding and caring for my back yard visitors, I've had a lukewarm relationship with bluebirds. It was years after I put up my first houses that I even had any of them look at them. Then, it became a yearly dance where sometime in late February/early March, a male would show a female one of the boxes she would ultimately reject. It … [Read more...] about My Early Bird Bluebirds

The Tufted Titmouse That Wouldn’t Quit – Part 4

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We've Got Some Tufted Titmouse Mouths To Feed So far, I've told you about my first ever tufted titmouse couple choosing a bluebird box. I told you how they started building and then seemingly abandoning it. Next, I showed you the marvel of engineering that can happen when a tufted titmouse mother decides a nest has got to happen NOW! The last post was all about the … [Read more...] about The Tufted Titmouse That Wouldn’t Quit – Part 4

The Tufted Titmouse That Wouldn’t Quit – Part 3

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  We Have Eggs! In my last post, I told how my tufted titmouse mother started, stopped and then started a nest again. How she returned with a vengeance after I had cleaned out her first aborted attempt at a nest. I only wish I could have recorded her stuffing those gigantic clumps of nesting material in there. It was something to behold and simply hilarious. I … [Read more...] about The Tufted Titmouse That Wouldn’t Quit – Part 3

The Tufted Titmouse That Wouldn’t Quit – Part 2

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  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

The Tufted Titmouse That Wouldn’t Quit – Part 1

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First Time In Fifteen Years! For the last fifteen years that I've been feeding birds in my back yard I've gotten to enjoy so many different species. Most were the birds that are here year round. Others, like my most recent Rose Breasted Grosbeaks, are just passing through to one place or another. I've had nest boxes up for almost all that time and have had mostly Carolina … [Read more...] about The Tufted Titmouse That Wouldn’t Quit – Part 1

First Time Red Bellied Woodpecker Nesting

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They've Finally Nested! After years of feeding Red Bellied Woodpeckers in my back yard, I finally have a pair that are calling a nearly dead tree just over my back fence home! Since shortly after I put up my first peanut feeder and suet I've had them around and about my yard. I've always loved listening to their vocalizations that sound like they mean business. I've always … [Read more...] about First Time Red Bellied Woodpecker Nesting