New nestcams to watch and keep up-to-date with the birds you love! In addition to nests with eggs and chicks, last year’s Manikan-cam is back and highly recommended if you want to see some fancy mating dances. Decorah Bald Eagle Cam, Explore.org Bald Eagles in Decorah, Iowa have 3 eggs. It’s still winter in Iowa […]
Blog Category: Animal Behavior
Fall For Your Own Native Plant Meadow
To ensure you attract birds, butterflies and other wildlife in Monarch Butterfly Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel abundance to your yard, there is no better choice than planting a meadow with native plants. Not only is a mature meadow a stunningly beautiful sight of waving flowers with butterflies and birds darting in and out, but it’s […]
What Do Birds Do In a Hurricane?
The iconic image and story of Harvey, the terrified juvenile Coopers Hawk who desperately fled the onslaught Harvey, the Coopers Hawk Photo Credit: William Bruso of hurricane Harvey by landing on the passenger seat of a Houston taxi cab was a welcome story of hope. Harvey was rescued by the driver, taken to Texas Wildlife […]
Great Views of Shorebirds Now
Birds at the beach never cease to amaze. Not only are Marbled Godwit and American Oystercatchers Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel they capable of migrating extremely long distances non-stop (some manage several days at a time and thousands of miles over open water), there are different species on the move year round. Fall is a […]
Who’s Migrating Now?
Who’s Migrating in Summer? Piping Plovers, Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel Spring and Fall migration get all the press. After all, songbirds like warblers or goldfinches traveling in spring look spectacular and move in large numbers. And they can often be seen in our own backyards. But migration continues throughout the year, with different species of […]
Cuban Bee Hummingbird in Action!
Whoa! Fabulous Slo-motion of a Bee Hummer in action from National Geographic. Check it out! See Hummingbirds Fly, Shake, Drink in Amazing Slow Motion Where human eyes see only a hovering spot of color, high-speed cameras capture the breathtaking maneuvers of a hummingbird in flight. http://on.natgeo.com/2sY92F8 Posted by National Geographic Magazine on Monday, 10 July […]
Pesky Critters in Your Backyard?
Squirrels got your goat? Hawks or the neighbors cats using your feeder as a buffet table? Maybe that resident woodpecker is using your house for hammering practice? Whatever the issue is there are often simple and humane solutions! For example, getting the right feeder can help control unwanted birds, or eliminate bees and […]
Backyard Bird Reading
Nesting birds on the ground in your yard? What kind of bird does that? We love this humorous essay many of us can relate to. When it comes to finding out where the birds are nesting in your yard, sometimes info is gotten the hard way. Then It Struck Me and Not Very Gently, by Murr Brewster for […]
Join Nestwatch and Help Nesting Birds
Join Nestwatch and Help Nesting Birds Nobody knows better than you what goes on in the nests in your backyard. If you are curious about the birds nesting in your yard and pay particular attention to Photo Credit: Stan Tekeila them, Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a great project called Nestwatch that can use your […]
Nestcams and a Manikam!
Cornell Lab of Ornithology Manakam This month we have nestcams and a cool manakin lek-cam! If you have never seen manakins displaying, check out this amazing live cam that, if you are lucky, will have Lance-tailed Manakins displaying at their lek. Unlike a nestcam, the action will be sporadic, but don’t miss seeing these amazing […]
Nestcams!
NESTCAMS! explore.org hummingbird nestcam New nests to watch! See updates on nests you saw last month and see some new nests we are watching now. Have a favorite nest cam? Let us know about it! Laysan Albatross, Hawaii – who can resist these beautiful birds and their chicks? Red-tailed Hawks, New York – watch them building […]
Duck Mating Behavior
Duck Mating Behavior When you are watching ducks and other waterfowl this winter, get ready for a lot of action, because it’s also mating season! Photo Credit: Stan Tekeila Waterfowl mating behaviors can be pretty weird – ranging from the slightly unusual to the outrageous. We found a few videos you might enjoy for a little […]
How Do Birds Keep From Crashing Into Each Other in a Flock?
Flock Behavior: Why Birds Don’t Crash Into Each Other Do you ever watch flocks of birds flying tightly together and wonder how they maintain their distance from one another? Flying in a tight flock helps birds in a number of ways. One of the most important is that a large tight flock makes it more […]
Backyard Suet Feeders to Make or Buy
BACKYARD: Suet Feeders It’s time to break out the suet feeders! Suet provides lots of calories to keep some of your favorite birds like chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers warm. There are lots of different suet feeders you can buy or make, but the best ones are those which are ergonomically correct for Tail-prop suet feeder […]
Late Season Nestcams
Late Season Nestcams! Many of the birds from the nest cams we have previously been watching are growing up or have successfully fledged. Now we have a new Guillemot nest, as well as chicks and juvenile birds from some of the nests we have been following. We especially love watching the juvenile Layasan Albatross pictured […]
A Day at the Beach
A Day at the Beach What could be more summer-like than a day at the beach? Who doesn’t love having fun in the water and on the sand? And the beach is a popular spot for wildlife as well. Terrapins cross busy streets to get from the marsh to Piping Plover chick the sandy shores […]
Your Summer Backyard
Your Summer Backyard Your backyard in summer is different from the rest of the year. In each season, birds have different needs, and summer can be extreme – both because of the heat and the additional pressure of feeding baby and juvenile birds. You may be providing a lot of food for birds – in […]
More Nestcams!
More Nestcams! ‘Tis the season! Birds are still nesting, and this month, there are a few new nestcams including Atlantic Puffins, Arctic Terns, Allen’s Hummingbird, Peregrine Falcons, Osprey and Double-crested Cormorants. NEW nests with lots of chicks and behavior to watch! Allen’s Hummingbird, California Atlantic Puffins, Maine Arctic Terns, Maine Peregrine Falcons, Idaho Osprey, Maine […]
Watching Migration Fly By
Watching Migration Fly By We couldn’t resist this terrific piece of info on migration from Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Using millions of pieces of data from ebird combined with other sources, they put together an animated map of 118 species of birds and their movements including migration, throughout one year. It’s fascinating to see that some […]
More Nestcams!
More Nestcams We can never get enough of nestcams! Nesting season continues with new great views of nesting condors, lots of Great-horned Owlets, and this nest of seven seriously adorable Long-eared Owlets. NEW nests with lots of chicks to watch! California Condor, California Long Eared Owls, Montana Great Horned Owls, Montana CATCH UP on what’s […]