When it comes to providing a place for birds in your area to splash, bathe, play, and drink, a bird bath can please both the feathered and human inhabitants of the property. Bird baths serve as a huge draw to entice birds of all types to your yard, and in turn, the birds receive a necessary place to refresh themselves on hot summer days or chilly winter nights. Before you purchase a bird bath, first consider where you will place the bird bath in your yard or garden to ensure the specific style you wish will fit the outdoor space. Read more »
Virginia is among the premier bird watching spots in the mid-Atlantic region of the USA. Virginia has a wide variety of environments and is visited by many species of birds.
Song birds
Virginia is home to large numbers of song birds. Along the coast, marshes, wildflowers, fields and areas of brush provide ideal nesting and feeding habitat. Other songbirds inhabit the tall pine forests there. Warblers, nut hatches, sparrows, red wing blackbirds and others nest near the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic coast in the summer, while cardinals, jays, woodpeckers and finches reside there during the winter months.
Shore Birds
Herons, egrets, ibises, oyster crackers, march hens and other shorebirds are frequently spotted along the marshes in places like Chincoteague, Assateague and the other barrier islands. On the beaches, dozens of species of sandpipers, plovers, gulls and terns feed, nest and raise chicks.
Birds of Prey
A number of birds of prey visit Virginia. Ospreys arrive in the spring to raise young and feed on the abundant fish stocks. As seasons change, some ospreys migrate south while other birds of prey arrive. American eagles, red tailed hawks and other large hunters are present in the fall thru spring. Other hawks such as sparrow hawks may be found year round.
Waterfowl
Ducks, geese, brant and swans all make stops in Virginia. In the refuge, geese and swans take up residence year round. Other full time residents include black ducks, wood ducks and mallards which raise their young on the marshes of Chincoteague Island, Wallops Island and much of the Chesapeake. As autumn arrives, ducks and geese migrate into the refuges and surrounding areas of Virginia. Shoveler ducks, pintails, mallards, widgeons, teal, rudy ducks, canvasbacks, redheads, ring necked ducks, bluebills, and others fly in. Mergansers, buffleheads, goldeneyes and other diving ducks show up in the bay waters as cold weather sets in. Off the coast, rafts of sea ducks and small groups of oldsquaw ducks forage along the shoals over the winter.
Pelagic Birds
The waters off the coast are visited by up to 30 species of pelagic birds including albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, storm-petrels, phalaropes, skuas, jaegers, gulls, terns and alcids. These birds migrate along the offshore waters far from land. Many pass off the coast and never see Virginia’s beaches.
By John C. Banks
Tube bird feeders are given this name for the obvious reason; they are a tube shaped bird feeder that makes use of this unique design to offer a little something different to the birds that come to eat. The cylindrical shape makes it harder for a pest to latch on to it if they are going to try to steal seeds, or whatever it is you choose to feed, because they have nothing to grab onto. Read more »
All birds love to have a bath every now and again. Don’t get me wrong, they do not like to be placed in water and washed all over. They prefer to give themselves a bath! Whilst our pets don’t necessarily need one, wild birds absolutely love them, and you can buy one and place it in your garden without any hassle. In fact, some bird baths look really nice in a garden, and they can make really good outdoor ornaments. Read more »
Birds are the most visible form of wildlife, they are found in every part of the world that is not permanently covered by ice, and you can see them in any weather, any time of day or night, anywhere you go. Whether you live in the country or the city, there are birds nearby, 835 species of birds spend at least part of the year in North America. You can go out looking for birds or attract them to your home. Birding is one of the fastest-growing outdoor activities all around the world. The Verb ‘To Bird’ would serve as an excellent jumping off point for a feature, which highlights the growing popularity of birding.
More than 70 million Americans are feeding and watching backyard birds. Success in bird watching is, to a large extent, based on location, either by venturing to locations or habitats where birds are plentiful, or by devising ways to attract birds to your own back yard. Birds seen at a distance may be enjoyable to watch, but the true excitement of the hobby is greatly enhanced when you can see the birds up very close. Some of the most useful tools that enhance your bird-watching experience are those that makes birds easier to see in striking detail. There are numerous ways to participate in the hobby of birding. Aside from simply viewing birds in nature, avid enthusiasts engage in numerous other activities. Some of those may include: feeding birds, providing nesting sites or birdhouses, growing specialized plants and gardens to attract birds, traveling to nature sanctuaries and other bird-watching locales, keeping lists and notes on birds seen in the wild, making diagrams and sketches and spending hours trying to snap the perfect photograph of a favorite bird species. In order to enhance your beautiful experience of bird watching in winter one can learn bird’s song. Birds’ strongest senses are sight and hearing, and they have evolved ways to communicate and to recognize their own species by using signals based on those two senses. Because we are also creatures of sight and sound, we can tap right into all the fascinating distinctions of color and shape that birds embody, and just as naturally we can appreciate the sounds that are so important in their lives. As you begin to recognize bird songs, your own backyard will become a much more interesting place. For me, it was like gaining supernatural vision, being able to see through the leaves and around buildings. I was amazed at how many birds were all around me and how much I had been missing out on. To broaden your bird-watching experience beyond your own backyard, consider incorporating some bird-rich locales into your next vacation. Serious bird enthusiasts actually plan trips around visiting bird sanctuaries, nature parks and other natural locations where they can view birds in large numbers, in diversity of species and in their native habitats. Traveling to a region of the country other than the one in which you live will allow you to see species you may have never seen before for e.g. * The southeastern Arizona Mountains known as “sky islands” and in particular the Chirachua mountains are home to many impressive species such as the acorn woodpecker * One of the most distinctive attractions in this area, however, is the diversity of hummingbirds. As many as 14 different species may be observed here. The large magnificent hummingbird can only be found in the Southwest. Some of the basic tips for bird watching are: * Try to observe the birds so they don’t know you are there. Move slowly, make as little noise as possible, and keep your distance. * Going too close to a nest or repeatedly scaring a bird off its nest can cause the parents to abandon their nest leaving the eggs vulnerable to predators. Do not touch the eggs or young birds. * Avoid trampling fragile natural areas to get a closer look. Stay on paths and trails. * Don’t litter. Now once you have started on the bird watching its important to build a bird house, start the proper bird-feeding all year around, provide them with water either through bird bath or providing water specially in extreme weathers. In this way the birds would be attracted and would keep coming back to the backyard.
By John Savage
John Savage has a keen interest in bird watching and can highly recommend a fascinating book called Backyard Birds and Butterflies. Click Here for Free Information
Plants for birds include those that provide food, shelter and nesting sites.
There are seven types of plants that are important for bird habitats. They include (1) conifers and evergreens (2) grasses and legumes (3) nectar producers (4)summer fruit bearers (5) fall fruit bearers (6) winter fruit bearers and (7) seed, nut and acorn bearers. Some smaller yards and gardens can’t fit in all seven. But, take a look at what plants surround your yard. You can supplement or fill in the gaps with plants that add variety and diversity of the landscape.
Conifers are evergreen trees that do not lose their needle-shaped leaves in winter. These densely covered tree limbs provide very good cover and shelter for birds. These evergreens can provide a place to hide when a predator like a cat or hawk approaches. They also provide shelter from winter winds, snow and cold. Some conifers also provide sap, seeds and buds. These trees include spruces, pines, firs, junipers and cedars.
Grasses and legumes provide cover for ground-nesting birds. Ground nesting birds generally don’t inhabit urban and suburban areas. But, if you live near open lots, airports and grassy fields, you might see them. But if you live in such an area, don’t mow the grass during the nesting season. Some grasses provide food such as seeds and legumes. Native grasses that people plant are just the kind that these birds need.
Nectar-producing plants provide food for hummingbirds and orioles. It is much easier to provide a nectar producing plant than to change a feeder daily. The plants that provide nectar have tubular flowers. The color red is extra attractive to humming birds. These flowers include bee balm, coralbells, columbine, trumpet creeper and scarlet morning glory. Other vines, trees and shrubs can also provide for nectar eaters.
Summer-fruiting plants bear fruits or berries from May through August. These trees and shrubs include serviceberry (shadbush), raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, grape, mulberry, plum and elderberry. The fruit-eaters that enjoy this bounty include catbirds, waxwings, robins, thrushes, cardinals, orioles, towhees, woodpeckers and grosbeaks.
Fall fruit bearers include shrubs and vines whose fruits ripen in the fall. These foods are important for migrating birds. The birds eat the fruit to build up fat reserves to fuel long migration flights. Birds that don’t migrate also eat the fruit. Fall-fruiting plants include dogwoods, mountain ash, winter berries, cottoneasters and buffalo berries.
Winter fruit bearer don’t actually produce berries in winter. These are plants have fruit which stays attached to the plant long after they become ripe in the fall. These are fruits that often need to be frozen and thawed several times to be palatable. These plants include Virginia creeper, bittersweet, sumacs, American highbush cranberry, black chokeberry and some crabapples.
The seed, nut and acorn plants provide foods for a variety of birds. The seed producers are maples, pines , spruces, birches and others. The nut producers including hickories, buckeyes, chestnuts, butternuts, walnuts, and hazelnuts. The acorn plants are the oaks.
As you can see the seven types of plants provide a wide variety of food and shelter for birds. By diversifying the landscape you can help birds survive.
There are many different species of plants that are suitable for attracting birds, not just the ones listed here. Plants for birds include many native trees, shrubs, flowers and vines. These plants can add the the beauty of your yard or garden.
By Donna Long
Donna Long is a freelance writer and naturalist. She publishes Connecting-with-Nature.net, a website devoted to the study of nature close to home. She can be reached at donnalong.net.
Hummingbirds are very small petite birds belonging to the family of Trochilidae. These birds have the capability to linger in mid air and flap their wings incredibly fast, that is, fifteen to eighty times per second. The distinguishing characteristics of a hummingbird are: a) it can fly backwards b) it can fly vertically c) its wings make a constant humming noise d) it can draw the nectar from flowers while maintaining its position The bird has got its name from the humming sound of its wings. Hummingbirds primarily live on the nectar of flowers. They are drawn to a lot of foliage, but Shrimp plants, heliconia, fuchsias, penstemons and other types of flowering plants seem to have a large concentration of hummingbirds feeding on their nectar. Small insects are also eaten, mother birds feed these to their young. These small birds take an active part in pollination of the flowers they feed on. The nesting of these birds sees no active participation of the male hummingbird. Eggs take around fourteen to nineteen days to hatch. The nest is a woven cup like shape in the midst of a tree branch. Hummingbirds are beautiful. The male birds have bright and colourful plumage and the female birds are a bit duller. Glittering bellied emerald, shining sunbeam, festive coquette are some of the names given to various species of these birds by the enthusiastic admirers. Though they are gorgeous, they are also very small and the bee hummingbird is the smallest in the world weighing hardly 1.8 grams. The flight of humming bird is an area where intense scientific research is being done. The wingbeat cycle of the bird support their body weight, that is seventy five percent of the weight is supported on the downstroke and twenty five percent is supported on the upstroke. Hummingbirds have high rate of metabolism which is necessary for their fast flapping of wings. Their heart beat rate is also extremely high compared to other birds. They eat more than their weight per day but can slow down their metabolism at night or when food is not available. They are then in a hibernation sort of stage called torpor. For long flights the birds store body fat which is used as fuel. The birds are generally quite hardy. Hummingbirds are popular with people and many feed the bird with artificial nectar. They accept man made feeders but are partial to the red ones. Hummingbirds can get trapped in garages but if trapped the birds may not survive. They are a source of joy to countless bird lovers.
By Jerry Cahill
Author Jeff Gise is a naturalist who maintains several related websites. One of his websites is at this location – http://hummingbirds.informationvalet.com/
Bird watching is a hobby that has been in existence for as long as anyone can remember. Throughout the centuries, people have had a certain fascination for these fine feathered friends. Today, with the hustle and bustle of modern life, there are still those find solace and peace in this activity. Though for most people, going bird watching entails trips to the country side, there are those who are lucky enough to be able to engage in this past time right within the comforts of their home.
Backyard bird watching is an activity that is actually encouraged among beginners. There is no better way to get your feet wet than starting your own bird watching endeavors in your back yard. Once you have decided to do this, there are a few things that you must consider.
First, what birds inhabit your area? To find out about this, you would need to do a bit of research. Go to your local library and look for bird watching books. Go online and look the information up. You can even get in touch with your local bird watching club for some assistance.
Once you know the possibilities that are open to you, you must then decide on which kinds of birds you want to attract to your backyard. This is very important because the feeders that you set up would depend largely on the types of birds that you want to see. There are some feeders that will suit different bird species while there are some feeders that are specific to certain birds. If you want to attract a wide variety of birds to your backyard then you may want to plan your feeding area with more care so as to be able to accommodate all the different birds.
After the feeder type comes the bird feed itself. There are a lot of different feed available for all sorts of birds. Again, you have to know which birds you want to attract and then plan your bird feed around them. Some feed will be suitable for different birds while certain birds will only eat a specific type of feed. So you have to know all about these details before you go to the pet store and make your purchases.
In setting up your feeders, you have to pay special attention to the area and the lay out. You have to make sure that you have a clear view of the feeding area so that you can observe the birds without risking scaring them away. Make sure that there are no obstructions to your view. You may also want to get a pair of binoculars just so you can observe the birds in more detail.
Though you are still at the beginning of your bird watching activities, you will find that the joys of bird watching will keep you coming back for more.
By Alex Cameron
Alex Cameron has been a bird watcher for so many years now. He is very passionate about backyard bird watching and setting up feeders and houses to attract all sorts of birds. For more specific information regarding the birds of North America, visit his web site at http://www.birdhouses101.com/
About
Bird watching is growing in popularity as a hobby that gets people outdoors and increases appreciation of nature, as well as being a great stress reliever. This blog will help you to be equiped with all you need to enjoy this great recreational pastime.
