National Bird Holidays and Awareness Days- First Quarter

 

Male Finch

Did you know that bird watching is enjoyed by over 73 million Americans?  It is no wonder than that there are many different bird days listed on special days lists.

I count myself as an ardent bird watcher and photographer and on this post, I will share with you some of the national bird days I found interesting.  This post will be part 1 of 4 so I will include bird days in the first quarter of the year.  I will also share photos of birds I have watched and photographed in my backyard. For more information on national bird days check out www.birdtipper.com. 

Jan 5 - National Bird Day

National Bird Day is celebrated on January 5th.  Here is some information that I found on the website nationaldaystoday.com/national-bird-day.

• According to the US Census more American bird watchers (73 million) than baseball and football players.
• Birders fund the economy, including feed, supplies, traveling and donations by spending $40 billion a year on their hobby.
• Worldwide there are 9800 species of birds; 850 are in the U.S.
• The National Bird Day takes place after an annual survey that tracks American wild birds to get an accurate bird population count at the three weeks long December count.
• According to Born Free USA, nearly 12% of the world's bird population is threatened with extinction.

Here are just a few of the birds I photographed in my backyard.

Jan 20- Penguin Awareness Day

Penguins are an interesting bird that we all love.  In my part of the world, we have to go to the zoo to see Penguins, but my sister recently traveled to Antartica where she was delighted to see hundreds of Penguins.  Here is a photo she took.

In researching Penguin Day, I found the following interesting Penguin facts.

1. They kidnap chicks

   When a female emperor penguin's baby dies, she will often "kidnap" an unrelated chick.

2. They're down south

   There are 17 species of penguins and all of them live in the Southern Hemisphere.

3. Macaroni penguins rule

   The penguin species with the highest population is the macaroni penguin with 11 million pairs.

4. The fastest penguin

   The gentoo Penguin is the fastest swimmer — reaching speeds up to 22 mph.

5. They're all wet (usually)

   An average penguin might spend up to 75 percent of its life in the water — where it also hunts for prey.

Feb- National Wild Bird Feeding Month

I love feeding birds and feed them in my backyard all year long.  In 1994 congressman John Porter announced that February would be National Wild Bird Feeding Month.  This month is one of the hardest for birds to obtain food and the emphasis on this special month encourages people to feed birds and put out water for them.  I encourage you to celebrate this month by helping to feed our wild birds.  They will reward you with many hours of birdwatching and if you are like me, some great models for your photography.   Here are a couple of birdfeeders that I thought look interesting.

Feb 17-20, 2023, Great Backyard Bird Count

Each year in February, bird watchers throughout the world take time to count birds.  Here is a few thoughts on what is involved.

Spend time in your favorite places watching birds–then tell us about them! In as little as 15 minutes notice the birds around you. Identify them, count them, and submit them to help scientists better understand and protect birds around the world.

If you have a few minutes to spare, plan on participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count.

March 20th- World Sparrow Day

Sparrows are everywhere and yet sometimes we fail to appreciate these delightful little birds.  A day was set up to appreciate sparrows and it is celebrated worldwide on March 20th each year.  The Bird Tipper website gives the following tips to celebrate Sparrow Day.

How to Celebrate World Sparrow Day

The best way to celebrate World Sparrow Day is by taking action to help these birds.

One of the biggest threats to sparrow populations is loss of habitat, so consider planting native trees and shrubs in your yard or community garden. You can also put up a birdhouse or two; tree cavities are perfect homes for nesting sparrows.

Also, be sure to keep your cat indoors—birds of all kinds, including sparrows, are killed each year by outdoor cats.

Finally, fill your bird feeder with seeds that sparrows love, such as sunflower seeds and millet, and sit back and enjoy watching these busy little birds at work!

On World Sparrow Day, take a moment to think about one of the most common birds in the world: the humble sparrow. This holiday is a chance for us to learn more about these fascinating birds and take action to help them thrive!

Here are some photos I have taken of sparrows in my backyard. They are all Eurasian Tree Sparrows.

These are but a few of the specified bird days in the first quarter of the year.  You can find a larger list online at www.birdtipper.com.  Stay tuned for future posts on bird days for the rest of the year.  Happy Birding!!

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Review of Suet Nuggets for Birds

 

Nuthatch waiting turn for Suet Nuggets 

One of my favorite wild bird foods to use in our backyard feeders are Suet Nuggets.  These little pellets contain a blend of suet and other high oil content ingredients.  I find them easy to use, less messy than other feed, and the birds love them.  I find them easier to use then the suet cakes and there is less waste with the nuggets.

In my yard they are particularly popular with the Downy woodpeckers, but I have also seen other woodpeckers, nuthatches and even sparrows feed on them.  I have seven different types of bird feeders in my yard, and the one that is most popular is the suet nugget feeder.

In this photo a female Downy is getting the last bits of the nuggets out of the feeder.  Below is a male Downy enjoying the nuggets in the wintertime.

The suet nuggets are designed to attract a wide variety of wild birds.  They are formed into soft nuggets so that they are easy for beaks to break apart.  They may be served alone (as you see I have done in the feeder above) or combined with other feed.  These nuggets are ideal for year-round feeding.  I always have a feeder full of these nuggets in my backyard.

The nuggets are available in a variety of flavors.  I have tried the sunflower, bluebird and woodpecker varieties but the one I use the most often is the peanut variety.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

As you can see in the photo above even the sparrows enjoy the nuggets.

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Reviewing Hawks in my Backyard

Young Cooper's Hawk

I have always enjoyed watching the birds at the feeders in our backyard and have been told to watch out for Hawks because they can kill the birds.  Because of this, I had never really studied much about Hawks and just considered them a bird to avoid.  Recently I have photographed some Hawks in and around our backyard and now I have a new appreciation for the fascinating creatures that they are.  Up in the air they always looked menacing, but when seen up close in a photograph I realized what beautiful details they have.  In this post I will share with you some information on two of the Hawks I have photographed in our yard.  The first is the Cooper's Hawk and the second is the Red-Shouldered Hawk. 

Cooper's Hawk

I have seen Cooper's Hawks or at least what I think are Cooper's Hawks fairly often in our area.  The photo above was taken on our back fence.  It was identified by several people on bird sites online as a young Cooper's Hawk, so I feel fairly confident with that identification.  Sometimes I find hawks colorings are so similar, especially with the differences in adults and juveniles that I am not sure of my identification.  I wrote a review on one of my favorite bird books several months back.  It is the book I used to find the information on the Cooper's Hawk.  Here is a link to that review. What it's Like to be a Bird

Here is what it has to say about the bird.

• It is a medium-sized hawk at about 16 inches long.
• They often keep watch at feeders and then swoop in low hoping to surprise the flock.
• They target mid-sized birds that are slower flyers such as doves and starlings.  These birds are easier for them to grab with their talons.
• The juveniles have vertical brown streaks on their chests with brown back while the adults will have tight horizontal reddish barring on their chests with gray crowns and backs.  Both have barred tails that are rounded at the tips.

Here are a couple photos that I think fit these descriptions.

 Red-Shouldered Hawk

The photo above is a Red-Shouldered Hawk.  I captured it sitting on the satellite dish on the roof of the house behind ours.  I zoomed in and quickly took this shot before he flies away and then I carefully check my camera settings and tried to wait for him to turn his head, so I get him looking my way.  Before I could get another shot, he took off and I was able to capture him in flight.  I am particularly proud of this shot. It was the first time I had seen one of these hawks.

I looked him up in my guide to backyard birds and found the following information.

• It is a fairly common, medium to large hawk.
• The adult has reddish colored upperwing coverts and also densely barred reddish underparts. The wings and tail are dramatically barred in black and white.
• The juvenile has brown-streaked underparts and a dark tail with many pale bands.
• They make a loud screaming sound that sounds like (KEE-ahh) which is given in a series.
• They are widespread and found in well-watered woodlands and suburban areas with nearby wood lots. 
• They are a perch hunter and feed on frogs, snakes, lizards and small mammals.
• Their nests are located high in trees and are made of bulky sticks.

Here is a link to the book where I got my information.

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Reviewing The Joy of Bird Feeding

 

Eastern Bluebird

My husband and I enjoy watching the birds in our backyard.  We can sit at our kitchen table and watch the view through our sliding glass doors.  We were very excited when we received a Christmas gift from a friend to give us lots of great ideas for attracting and feeding our feathered friends. This gift was a book entitled The Joy of Bird Feeding. In this post I will give you a preview of the tips found in each chapter of this book.  I will also share some of the photographs that I have taken of birds in our backyard.

Chapter 1: The Five Steps to Bird Feeding Mastery

The first chapter gives a thorough plan on setting up your backyard to attract the biggest variety of birds.  It helps you to set up a plan to decide what foods to serve and when to serve them.

Downy feasting on Suet Pellets

Chapter 2: Thoughtful Bird Feeding Stations Elements in Detail

Details of the elements needed for feeding birds are described in this chapter.  One of the items suggested is year-round water.  In the photo below you see a group of bluebirds enjoying fresh water from the heated dog bowl I have placed on our deck on a cold winter's day.

Chapter 3: The Birds

This chapter gives us some interesting information on the birds that are found in our backyards.  The introduction talks about year-round birds, seasonal residents and migrant birds. It is also talks about how the birds find feeders.  The chapter then goes into photos of various birds and identifying information.  It is quite comprehensive.  Here is a Carolina Wren that is a frequent visitor to my backyard.

Carolina Wren

Chapter 4: The Foods

Great detail is given on the various foods that are available for birds. There is also a section on foods from your kitchen that are good for birds and a section on fun food shapes.  Here is a bird on a Penguin feeder that we received for Christmas.

House Finch on Fun Feeder

Chapter 5: The Feeders

Are you undecided about what types of feeders to purchase?  This chapter goes into detail on each type of feeder and tells you the pros and cons of each.  I like to have a variety of feeders in my backyard. Here is a photo of some Cardinals and a finch on one of my feeders.

Cardinals and Finch

Chapter 6: Poles and Hangers

Here we find some great ideas for poles and hangers including a nifty pole system.  I will need to look into that.

Chapter 7: Critter Solutions

Unwanted critters can play havoc with your feeding stations.  This chapter gives you ideas on how to mitigate the critter issues.  We have lots of squirrels in our yard and I have some squirrel proof feeders and others that the squirrels love to visit.  We enjoy seeing their antics too.  Here is a squirrel at one of our feeders.

Chapter 8: Situations and Solutions

Have you wondered why the birds aren't coming to your feeders or what you can do about the messy deck?  The answers to these and other issues can be found in this chapter.

Chapter 9: Buying and Storing Bird Food

Here you will find lots of tips for buying the best foods and storing solutions for your bird food.

Chapter 10: Common-sense Bird Feeding Hygiene

Here I find a lot of tips for making your bird feeding stations safe for the birds.  Some I have done, but there are certainly a lot of areas where I can improve.  

Chapter 11- Fun Bird Feeding Activities

This chapter is full of some great bird feeding activities including things like hand feeding birds and watching birds when you are not at home.  The activity that most interests me is photographing birds.  I love to set up my backyard to make some good backgrounds for taking bird photos and this book had lots of tips. 

Here is a favorite photo I caught of some bluebirds turning their backs to the camera.  I thought it made a good ending for this review.

Bluebird of Happiness Card
by mbgphoto

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Book Review of What It's Like to Be a Bird

Robin in my Backyard

 Are you ever curious about the habits of birds?  Did you realize that a bird's senses of vision, hearing, touch and smell many times surpass the same senses in humans?  Did you know that if you "ate like a bird" you might eat more than twenty-five pizzas each day?  These are just a few of the many things you'll learn about birds in the book What It's Like to Be a Bird.  

I received a copy of this book as a Christmas gift and have found it fascinating.  It is a rather large, coffee table type book that is full of information on the birds of North America.

The book is divided into three sections.  In this review, I will give you some insight into each of the sections.  The photographs I am including in this review are birds that I photographed in my backyard.

First Section: Introduction

Female Downy Woodpecker

• The introduction section of the book is 32 pages full of information on birds in general.  This section talks about the feathers on birds, the senses of birds and how they relate to human senses.  There are sections on 
• Food
• Survival
• Social Behavior
• Movement
• Physiology
• Migration

an much more.  This area is full of interesting information.  Some examples include:

• There are 11 thousand species of birds today and 800 are regularly found in North America.
• Birds visual ability varies greatly between species.  Owls have great night vision  and Eagles see five times more details than humans and 16 times the colors.
• Some birds spend their entire winter in the air, even sleeping while they fly.

Second Section: Main Body of Book

In this section of the book the author tells us about over 200 different species of birds.  The author has two pages for most species and they include beautiful colored illustrations of the birds and are full of interesting facts about each type of bird.

One good example is the section on Finches.  The first page shows a beautiful illustration of a male and female House Finch building a nest.  The information says that these finches are aptly named because they have adapted to living around houses and often make their nests on items around the houses such as hanging plants and window ledges.  On the page with Goldfinches we are told that they travel in flocks almost all year and it is believed that some birds stay together in small groups for months or even years.

Third Section: Listing of Birds in this Book

In this last section of the book you find a list of all the birds that have been covered in the book.  It includes the page number for more information along with a paragraph summarizing that particular bird.

Here is some of the information included on the Northern Cardinal.  It tells that the bird is named for its bright red color which is like the cardinals in the Roman Catholic church.  The paragraph goes on to say that the Northern Cardinal is one of the most widely recognized birds in North America.  It adds a couple of interesting facts such as that it is common for male cardinals to feed the adult females.  In this way they are signaling their ability to find food.

This is a book I would highly recommend for anyone interested in finding out more about birds.

Here is a calendar I made of my backyard bird photos.  It is offered on Zazzle.

  

Backyard Birds Calendar
by mbgphoto

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Review of Spring Bird Photography

Young Sparrow

Spring is one of my favorite times to photograph birds.  It is so wonderful to wake up in the morning and hear all the birds singing in the trees.  Each day I look through my camera zoom lens and try to locate new birds to my area.  Some are just passing through during their migratory routes and others will stay here for the summer.  Still others are year round residents that are growing their families in the spring.  The photo above shows a young sparrow that I captured on our back fence.

Mockingbirds

I was walking in our neighborhood park when I spotted a group of Mockingbirds.  I have rarely seen them in our yard so I was excited to see several in the park.  As I watched the birds, I soon saw a young Mockingbird in the same area.  They look quite in a disarray with their feathers all fluffed out.  I wasn't sure what I was seeing at first but I took some photos and looked them up in my bird book when I got home. 

Changing to Spring Clothes

Some birds change their colors in the springtime.  One that does this in our area is the American Goldfinch.  In the winter the bird has a brownish coat but as warmer weather approaches the feathers molt into a brilliant yellow color.  They are a delightfully colorful little bird that I always enjoy seeing at our finch feeder.

The below photo shows the American Goldfinch in their winter coat. You will note they just have a touch of color under their beak.

The Birdbath a Popular Spring/Summer Hangout

The birds seem to love the birdbath in the warmer weather.  Most birds just stop by for a drink, but the Robins love to hop right in for a splashy bath.

It seems like we are having a lot of Robins this spring.  They don't really go to the feeders but they do love the birdbath.

New Bird for Our Yard

I am always on the lookout for new birds in our yard.  This spring I spotted a white crowned sparrow.  They are quite a stately looking bird.

Whenever I see a new bird, I try to photograph them from several different angles.  I then pull out my bird identification book and look for them.  I also post photos online and ask for help or confirmation for my identifications.

The book below has been a big help in my bird identification.

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Review of Spring Photography

Lilacs in the Springtime

Spring is such a wonderful time for photography.  Flowers are blooming everywhere including my own backyard.  I love to go for walks in the neighborhood each day and see what new flowers and flowering trees and bushes are blooming on that day.  In the area of the country I live ,  midwest USA, the beauty begins to unfold in mid March.  From that time and for the next 2-3 months there are new delights to find each day!  On this page I will share with you, through my photography,  some of my favorite springtime flowers.

Early Bloomers

Tulips are one of my favorite early spring flowers.  There are different types of tulips that will start blooming in our area throughout April and May.  The photographs taken below were captured during the first week of April.

This next photo was taken in late April.  This tulip is fully opened and still beautiful.

Zazzle Cards from my Tulip Photos

I love creating cards to send to friends and family from my photographs.  Here are a couple I made on Zazzle.

Tulips and Scripture Card
by mbgphoto

Yellow Tulip
by mbgphoto

 

Flowering Trees and Bushes

In the springtime flowering bushes and trees are a wonderful sight to behold.  I particularly like the Lilac bush as seen in the photo at the beginning of this article.  In addition to being beautiful they have a very fragrant smell and I love cutting some off my lilac bush and bringing them in to my house. They make the whole house smell good.

The red bud tree is another beauty of springtime.  In the spring you can see them all over the hillsides in our part of the country.  Here is a photo of one that I took at a park near our home.

One of my favorite trees is the dogwood tree.  They can be found in both pink and white flowers.  Here is a photo of each.

Later Spring Flowers

Once spring is well under way, in late April or May, the Iris's start to bloom.  They are such beautiful and stately flowers.  I love to photograph them.  This first  photo is an Iris from my friend's garden.

I really like the two toned colors.  Here is another two toned Iris, this one was taken on a walk I took at the Missouri Extension garden.

A solid white Iris can be quite striking.  Here is one taken at Missouri Extension garden.

Wildflowers in the Spring

Spring is a wonderful time for wild flowers.  You can see many of these native plants along the sides of roads, in parks and in some peoples gardens.  Here are a few that I found beautiful.

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