IN THE BACKYARD : Philadelphia early-November
Amid a brilliant palette of autumn-hued leaves and ripe berries, my backyard birds may be enjoying the season as much as I am, in Philadelphia. November brings a solid transition to overwintering species, including a Red-breasted Nuthatch, which visited my feeders briefly on the 5th, and several Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets. A handful of Pine…
What’s in a Name : Scoter
This time of year, when days grow shorter and temperatures drop, huge flocks of sea ducks migrate along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. All three of North America’s scoters – Black, Surf and White-winged – journey south from their breeding grounds in the tundra pools and rivers of northern Canada and Alaska. They overwinter as…
IN THE BACKYARD : Philadelphia late-October
The October landscape in southeastern Pennsylvania is gorgeous, as leaves turn orange and yellow, and berries ripen bold and red. During the latter half of the month, my backyard chokeberry and winterberry shrubs were bursting with berries, attracting hungry birds and chipmunks. Several late-departing breeding birds were seen, including Northern Parula and Tennessee Warbler –…
Fall Day in Cape May
Birding Cape May, New Jersey, is a treat any day of the year, but I especially enjoy the Autumn season, when crowds are thinner, but skies, seas, and shrubs are filled with birds. On October 28, Deb and I ventured down to explore a bit of this world-renowned hotspot. A little after sunrise, though it…
Calliope Hummingbird – 5th PA record
Hummingbirds are unique and fascinating birds – tiny, fiesty, and super-fast. Here in southeastern Pennsylvania, birders mainly enjoy just one species – Ruby-throated Hummingbird – which zips around colorful flowers and sips sugar-water from nectar feeders throughout the spring and summer months. By early autumn, ruby-throats have disappeared, journeying south to warmer climates. Wise birders…
Season for Sparrows
Autumn is the season for sparrows, with abundant “LBJ’s” (Little Brown Jobs) scratching in weedy fields, grassy edges, or beneath backyard feeders. Song Sparrows are year-round residents in the east, and found in good numbers in a variety of habitats. If you spend time learning to identify this one – heavy breast streaking punctuated with…
IN THE BACKYARD : Philadelphia early-October
Fall migrants continue to wing their way through our Philadelphia backyard over the first half of October. I noted the first arrivals of wintering species – Dark-eyed Junco, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and White-throated Sparrows. Irruptive species were projected to show well this winter, and have not disappointed – Purple Finch and Red-breasted Nuthatch came in to…
Global Bird Weekend Oct 17-18, 2020
Tomorrow, October 17, marks the beginning of the first Global Bird Weekend, a great reason to get out, go birding, and support bird conservation. October 17 is also the October Big Day, a 24-hour opportunity to celebrate birds. Whether you bird for 10 minutes in your backyard, or spend hours exploring a nature preserve, this…
Our Favourite National Wildlife Refuges
Exploring wide open spaces is one of the greatest joys of being outdoors. Fortunately, there are more than 560 National Wildlife Refuges in the United States, encompassing 95 million acres of open space waiting to be explored! Refuges range widely in location, size and habitat, offering opportunity to experience a wide variety of wonderful wildlife.…
BIG SIT at Heinz Refuge, October 11, 2020
On Sunday, October 11, I joined fellow Philly birders for the Big Sit at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. It was the 11th one at this location since 2007, and a unique experience in many ways. The covid-19 pandemic significantly curbed public engagement, as group capacity was reduced to 8 people at one time, instead…
National Wildlife Refuge Week October 11-17
National Wildlife Refuge week is October 11-17, 2020, celebrating the great network of land and water that protects our precious wildlife and natural resources. There are more than 560 National Wildlife Refuges (NWR’s) in the United States encompassing 95 million acres of land. The smallest is Mille Lac NWR, less than one acre in Minnesota,…