Yard Pine Siskin
There are still Pine Siskins hanging out in the Northeast, and if you provide them with enough food in your yard and they are able to find a mate, they may nest right there! The nomadic species is certainly opportunistic, and I hope this bird in Twan’s yard can find a partner and settle down soon. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreSong Sparrow Up Close
This up close and personal encounter with a Song Sparrow took place entirely due to its own actions. I was photographing it feeding on some grasses when it kept approaching me, moving closer and closer, totally oblivious to my presence. It would look up at me ever so briefly, I suppose to make sure I was not about to pounce on it, but as you can see by its bill it was far more concerned with seeds than this human. Occasionally you run into a bird that believes you are not a threat or dismisses you entirely because it has prioritized feeding during an emergency situation or is exhausted, but...
Read MoreWintering Hermit Thrush
This is one of seemingly many (in the relative sense) Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) I have spotted in the last couple of months as this hardy species has been sticking out the late autumn in a number of my frequented locations. The bird pictured is one of those individuals. The most enigmatic sighting I had recently was with my Shetland Sheepdog a couple of weeks ago as we found a bird foraging in the lawn under a maple tree near the edge of mature woodlands. It looked at us and hopped up into one of the eye-level branches as we approached, casually watching us. It watched my dog...
Read MorePine Siskin (Spinus pinus) invasion
A Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) invasion is underway with birds expanding across a sizable swath of the United States. On some conducive flight mornings it is hard to go outside without seeing or hearing some flying south! Have your feeders been swamped with hungry new arrivals? If you do not have them yet you may soon.
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