Blog

25
Nov

A new addition to this website – Poems and Essays. Plus buttons!

I have added a new section to this website.  A place for you to post your poems and essays on nature.  You can either click on “Submit your story” for an email form or use your own email form and send your poem or essay to: lindahendricksspence@birdingbeyondthefieldguide.com.  If you have a question about this section, […]

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22
Nov

Great Egret, Snowy Egret, and Tricolored Heron

As I wrote in my previous blogs, it was not the best birding from the beaches and shorelines around Charleston, SC, but we did see these three birds.  The Great Egret is one of the birds that is pushing its range northward a bit.  We now have more of them here in central Illinois in […]

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15
Nov

What’s going in our yard…… and an update!

Our birds are returning – slowly, but surely.  There are still times when there are no birds on the livestream, but you will also notice the levels on the sunflower feeder and thistle feeder are slowly going down – American Goldfinches.  We generally have a flock of about a dozen each winter.  We do not […]

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13
Nov

Anhinga and Wood Stork – birds I rarely see…..

I was riding in the back seat as Cleon, our friend Matt, and I drove to the Magnolia Plantation I wrote about in my last blog.  As usual, I was scanning the skies for birds – and clouds.  I have rediscovered the joy of watching clouds form, reform, and then reform again – constantly changing […]

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12
Nov

Not just birds in Charleston ……….

Even though we were in Charleston, SC in November, the gardens and parks were still beautiful.  The weather was balmy – the sky an incredible blue the entire week.  We spent a day at the Magnolia Plantation.  The house tour was excellent.   We did take the nature tram tour but for me, it was disappointing.  […]

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08
Nov

Boat-tailed Grackles – Absolute Opportunists!

Unless you live west of the Rockies, you probably have had some experience with Common Grackles.  If you have feeders, you know they can arrive in a flock and eat everything in sight.  And they can come every single day.  If you walk through your favorite tree-filled neighborhood or park in fall, you might experience […]

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05
Nov

Hello from Charleston, South Carolina!

My favorite birding habitats have always been marshes, swamps, and seashores.  And Charleston has all of these.  The difficulty is accessing them.  Of course, right now, with the federal government closed, federal areas are closed.  Gates across access roads are shut and padlocked.  But in Charleston and the surrounding areas, it is hard to find […]

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30
Oct

Greetings from Clarksville, TN!

Cleon and I are traveling – we will be gone about 2 weeks.  Road trip!  Our good friend Miles will be taking care of the feeders and bird baths.  You will see him most days on the livestream early morning and late afternoon.  And as always, Justin will be taking care of the livestream and […]

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27
Oct

What is going on in our yard…… and the geese are back!

There is not a lot going on at our livestream camera right now – especially between the hours of 10AM and 3:30PM.  However, in early mornings and late afternoons, there are birds eating and taking baths.  Also loafing – doves are great loafers.  But there is lots going on in our yard. First of all, […]

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21
Oct

In the dead of night and just before the crack of dawn ………

If you have been viewing the livestream cam on our bird feeders and have not seen anything, maybe you should adjust your viewing time!  There is a whole lot going on – just not between 9AM and 4PM.  Turn up your volume to enjoy faint, but rather soothing sounds of the night, then click and […]

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