How chickadees make it through our cold winter nights
In his book Winter World, scientist and naturalist Bernd Heinrich said something that puzzled me. He was describing the effect of the cold on small birds and wrote: “The physics... Read More
Popcorn for squirrels
My wife, Jean, pops popcorn for the squirrels. If she sees a squirrel looking up at the kitchen window, she’s sure it’s saying, “Please make us some more popcorn.” So... Read More
The many benefits of bird feeding
I really enjoy watching birds. When I began watching birds about 25 years ago, I would walk the three or four blocks to Walsh Lake on the northeast border of... Read More
Some fathers fish with their sons, others take father-son birding trips
My son, Drew, and I have been doing an owl survey for seven years now. It’s a chance for some father-son bonding time. Some fathers and sons go fishing or... Read More
The bird lover’s dilemma: Putting out seed to draw birds to your yard can attract accipeters
I had just finished filling the front-yard bird feeders and was stepping into the side door when a large bird glided in and settled on the fence between the houses,... Read More
If you want to attract birds to your yard in winter, give them a bath
We’ve had a brutal winter so far and feeding the birds helps them get through these subzero nights. But just as important as seed and suet, perhaps even more so,... Read More
