Bird Watching: Migrating bobolinks a welcome spring sight
The bobolink is a bird of grasslands and open country. It breeds from the Canadian Maritimes and New England across the upper Midwest and Great Plains to the Rockies and from central Canada and the Great Lakes states south to the Missouri and Ohio valleys. [read full article at The Commercial Appeal]
Oman an unlikely, but ideal, destination for a birdwatching trip
You’re going birdwatching in Oman?” asked friends in that special tone adopted for the near insane. “What on earth can you hope to see in all that desert?” But birders appreciate a challenge, and anyway, even desert countries have their oases, where grateful migrants crowd leafy short-stay hotels. [read full article at The Financial Times]
Hawaii bird-watching: A land of unusual, and often endangered, species
Recent research has traced the ancestry of nearly 60 species of nectar-loving Hawaiian honeycreepers back to a flock of finches from Asia that arrived nearly 6 million years ago (even before all the islands had formed). [read full article at The Washington Post]
Migrating Birds Arriving Early
The warmer weather that much of the nation has been enjoying has brought out the springtime clothes a bit ahead of schedule and has also triggered the earlier-than-normal arrival of many migrating birds – much to the delight of the 45 million people who engage in birdwatching in the United States, and who now don’t need to wait for their spring ‘fix’. [read full article at Surfbirds.com]
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How to Make Your Backyard Bird-Friendly
If you want birds to visit your backyard and keep coming back, you should optimize your backyard so it is naturally attractive to birds. This aspect of landscaping is referred to as “birdscaping”.
Here’s how to birdscape your backyard:
- Beside bird feeders, provide natural sources of food such as berry bushes. As insects are a staple of many bird diets, plant flowers and flowering shrubs. Have a clean consistent source of water such as a bird bath, fountain or waterfall.
- Provide shelter such as birdhouses or nesting materials for birds to create their own nests, such as string, yarn and wood.
- Keep your outdoor environment as natural as possible. Keep compost and mulch in a discrete location and allow the occasional dead log or tree limb in your yard.
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