Feb 27
When I started teaching writing to students in 4th and 5th grade a few years ago, we talked to our students about the importance of keeping writing journals. My co-teachers and I helped students organize their journals with everything from daily writings to lists, hobbies, and writing ideas for the future. It was because of these “in-class …
Feb 27
I think we can all agree the pace of life sometimes just needs to slow down. With so many people having high blood pressure and conditions that are attributed to higher stress levels, could something as simple as watching birds help our heart rate and calm our souls? From my viewpoint and the view of …
Feb 24
I thought it would be fun to explore some trivia most of us do not know about birds in general. For instance, did you know the Sword Billed Hummingbird’s bill is longer than its body? There are over 9300 species of birds in the world and 2/3 of these species live in the tropical rain …
Feb 23
This bird of the far north is rarely seen in the lower forty-eight states, except those of us who watch Nature on Public Broadcasting. This bird, the largest of the falcons, is the official bird of the Northwest Territories in Canada. Gyrfalcons generally stay in the north in winter, but with some regularity, if not commonly, they …
Feb 06
The Eastern Bluebird, like its fellow member of the thrush family, the American Robin, is often viewed as a harbinger of spring. The Iroquois believed that the Bluebird would scare off Sawiskera or Flint, the spirit of winter (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluebird). However, either bird may be seen in winter in more southern parts of its nesting range. …
Feb 04
Birds need water year round and many birds stay in cold climates in the winter months. So what do birds do once the ground is frozen and people stop filling their bird baths in their backyards? Some birds are lucky enough to have backyard heated birdbaths. But most birds who spend their winters in the …
Jan 30
One question many people might have about the American Robin is this: is there another kind of robin that is not American? I will come back to the answer in just a bit. The American Robin is one of the most familiar birds, indeed, to Americans. They nest in yards from coast to coast. Connecticut, …
Jan 28
Well, at the risk of ruffling some feathers, this author leans toward a no answer. But if you do decide to adopt a pet bird, there are some considerations to think about before you do, in order to have the best possible experience for both you and your new feathered friend. First, birds are never …
Jan 26
There was an old belief that when crows saw a human’s face, the face would imprint on the brain of the crow, and then the crow would remember that face for the rest of their life. If the memory was pleasant, the crow would have pleasant feelings for the person and if the memory was …
Jan 12
A familiar bird, particularly in winter when it stays put, even through the snow and cold. It, however, greatly appreciates the feeders and entertains the humans who keep it in viewing distance from a window. There they may hang upside down and feed on sunflower seeds and suet (fat). The winter flocks break up in summer …
