ARTICLES
Stories, guides, and seasonal observations to help you notice more birds, enjoy their visits, and remember the moments that make backyard birding rewarding.
Guide
If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a sparrow and wondering, “Is that a song sparrow or just a really confident house sparrow?”—then congratulations, you’re on the path to becoming a birder.
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Guide
You don't need a huge yard to make a difference for birds. You don't need acres of prairie, a pond, or a professionally designed native-plant garden. You don't even have to be particularly good at gardening.
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Guide
Having trouble watching your birds? How many of these birdwatching “sins” are you committing?
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Guide
Putting out a bird feeder is easy. Keeping it clean is the part that takes a little more effort.
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Guide
You don't need a closet full of equipment to enjoy birdwatching. You don't need an expensive camera, a special vest with seventeen pockets, or binoculars that cost more than your first car. You can start by sitting near a window and watching the birds at your feeder.
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Guide
There’s something satisfying about filling a bird feeder and then waiting to see who shows up. Maybe it’s the cardinal that seems to appear every morning. Maybe a chickadee grabs a sunflower seed and disappears into the shrubs. Maybe a downy woodpecker works its way around the suet feeder while a squirrel sits nearby, trying to figure out how to get involved.
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Guide
So you’ve started paying closer attention to the birds in your backyard. You notice the chickadees. You recognize the cardinal before it even lands. You’ve learned that the robin isn't always the first bird to show up in the morning. And then something small and brown appears in the bushes. You stare. It stares back. “Little brown bird” seems like a perfectly reasonable identification. Unfortunately, it isn't actually a species.
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Guide
So, you’ve finally embraced your inner bird nerd. Congratulations! Whether you’re a backyard birder watching chickadees from the kitchen window or a full-fledged binocular-toting field-guide enthusiast, figuring out what you’re looking at is half the fun.
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Observation
I guess I’ve always been a slightly-above-average artist. My college art teacher* apparently recognized the modest talent I had. And I guess I’ve always liked watching birds - even though I was slightly afraid of the Killdeer that seemed to be following me as I walked through my grandfather’s fields on my way home. (I was maybe 10.)
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Guide
Picture this: You’re standing in your backyard, binoculars raised, trying to get a closer look at that bird perched on the feeder. You were convinced it was a rare species, only to realize you’re looking at a particularly rotund sparrow. Sad day.
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Observation
I saw my first hummingbird (Ruby-throated Hummingbird, of course, since we’re east of the Mississippi) of the season yesterday (May 15)!
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Guide
“I think it’s a House Finch, but it could be a Chipping Sparrow.” “From this distance, I can’t tell if it’s a Bald Eagle or maybe a Turkey Vulture.” As birdwatchers, we’ve all been there. There’s a bird that looks kinda familiar, in fact, maybe too familiar sometimes, and you just can’t decide.
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Seasonal Note
Have you ever asked yourself anything like this: “Why haven’t I seen a robin for weeks now? It’s only August.” Or this: “The juncos haven’t visited for months. Where did they go?” If so, you’re not alone.
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Observation
Okay, you’re right. I didn’t actually try to give a robin a bath. But if I did….
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Guide
So, you’ve decided to take up birdwatching. Congratulations! You’ve entered a world where people get genuinely excited about spotting a warbler and will debate the merits of different binocular brands with the intensity of sports fans arguing over the greatest quarterback of all time.
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Guide
Recently I was gifted a very nice feeder camera from a relative who had had it gifted to her but wasn’t allowed by her HOA to use it.
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Observation
I have a little notebook I keep in my camera bag. It’s just a cheap little spiral with a green cover. Green because my favorite color is green. It’s there so I can take notes on the birds, etc. that I’ve seen and taken pictures of when my wife and I go on one of our hikes.
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Guide
So, you finally got yourself a pair of binoculars. Maybe you’re birdwatching, spying on squirrels (completely normal), or trying to get a better view at a football game because your cousin got the cheap seats. Whatever your reason, knowing how to use binoculars properly will make the whole experience a lot better.
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Observation
Our next door neighbor had quite a few plants growing in his backyard - several varieties of flowers, a couple of small trees…and a tall purple thistle.
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Observation
Living in Wisconsin, we are privileged to be close to the International Crane Foundation. It’s a little over an hour from home.
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Observation
Did you ever think about what birds do when it rains?
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Observation
In my backyard, Northern Cardinals feel like a dime a dozen. I love to see them, but since I can see at least one almost every day (and hear more in the trees, if I’m outside or have a window open), I almost take them for granted.
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Observation
I bought a suet feeder last year. Early on, a woodpecker and a Flicker visited it, understood how to hang on, and apparently liked what they found inside.
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Observation
You probably have a good idea what “nuthatch” means already. That is, how it got its name.
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Observation
You know that bird bath I mentioned here? It helped me make a new friend, so to speak.
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Observation
It’s lunch time. I’m going to find a bite to eat as soon as I’m done writing this. And I wonder…Do birds ever truly get hungry, or do they just eat as a matter of course?
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Guide
Are you old enough to know who may have said what’s in the title above? You don’t have to answer that.
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Guide
So, you’ve decided to dip your toes (or binoculars) into the wonderful world of birdwatching. Good for you!
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Guide
I recently added a bird bath to my backyard.
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Guide
Ever wonder why the neighbor’s yard is bustling with our chirping feathered friends while yours remains almost eerily silent?
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Observation
It was warm enough just the other day that I could keep the back door open from early morning on.
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Guide
Bird photography is an exercise in patience, skill, and occasionally, sheer luck. You’re trying to capture a tiny, unpredictable subject that’s just looking for his next meal and doesn’t give a tweet about your perfect shot.
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Guide
So, you’ve caught the birdwatching bug. Maybe it started when you spotted a bright red cardinal against the winter snow.
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