Feeding Fox Sparrow
Twan snapped this snappy shot of a fine Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) feeding in the snow here at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History. We have a solid snow cover thanks to the lake effect madness off Erie in the past week, though certainly nothing of the magnitude our neighbors just to our north do. Fox Sparrows are notorious for seeking out feeders during inclement weather. If difficult conditions strike at the right time, especially in the March movement north, you may end up with several or even over a dozen in your yard. Have you had any of them visiting you this...
Read MoreWhite-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)
If you feed birds at home in the east it is extremely likely you have White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) hanging out in your yard. They primarily scratch at and feed on seed on the ground. What struck me about this bird was how it was camouflaged so well with the earth and the fallen leaves. The oft seen species never appeared that way to me before even though all sparrows are mostly brown for a reason (life on the ground!), and I thought it was smart how well designed it was for feeding on the edge of woodlands like this one was. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach...
Read MoreDark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)
Have “your” Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis) returned yet? While many of us in the Chautauqua-Allegheny region have them year-round there are millions upon millions more pouring into our yards now, readying to dine at your place all winter. Juncos can be so variable in pattern and are always a lot of fun to study on a frigid, snowy day. In the past I have particularly enjoyed seeing some with eye rings and others with wing bars! Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read More80 years of field guides
Roger Tory Peterson’s A Field Guide to the Birds was released on April 27, 1934. This past Thursday Twan posted this photo on our Facebook page to commemorate passing the date on “Throwback Thursday”. The original guide was a catalyst that started miraculous things on many levels – from sparking a passion for bird watching in millions to providing the conservation movement a tool to support environmental awareness, understanding and stewardship. I made sure to follow that up with a personal story… Those are my grandfather’s, father’s and my own field...
Read MoreGreen-breasted Mango (Anthracothorax prevostii) by Twan Leenders
This Green-breasted Mango (Anthracothorax prevostii) from Costa Rica will not be showing up at U.S. feeders this year but Ruby-throated Hummingbirds will be arriving in our yards shortly. Spring is actually going to happen, I promise, and this is a great time to clean out any birdhouses or feeding stations you have and be sure you’re set for the next several months.
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