American Goldfinches are an oddity amongst North American songbirds. Even their close cousins – the Lesser Goldfinches – do not share this trait. American Goldfinches only begin nesting at the end of July. Here it is – almost mid-August – and they are in the midst of their first nest of the season. All the […]
Two days ago, our heat index hit 115°F. Miserable does not even begin to describe how awful it was outside. When it is that hot and humid, birds become very quiet. They sit in shady places – where they might catch a breeze or two – and occasionally pant. Here are photos of birds who […]
First of all, what are raptors? The actual word – raptor – comes from the Latin word ‘rapere’ which means to seize, take by force, or plunder. Groups of birds that are called raptors include eagles, hawks, falcons, kites, ospreys, harriers, vultures, and owls. Most of these birds share the predatory behavior of hunting, capturing, […]
I have only ever heard the term ‘rogue male’ used in terms of raptors – particularly with Bald Eagles, and Ospreys. The definition from the online Collins Dictionary (British) is any solitary male. Other references add to this simple definition: A solitary male who is acting in an unusual way that is different from the […]
My husband Cleon and I set aside each Monday morning for an hour drive to Springfield – a city area of about 125,000 people and the capital of Illinois. Lots of big stores. And home to Lulu’s – our favorite diner. We always begin our morning of errands with a great breakfast, a whole lot […]
In my last blog, I told you how this website would be nowhere without the work from Mark Roberts and Lara Donovan of GoWeb1. And I shared Mark’s photos with you that he took when he was on safari in Tanzania. Today, the first thing I want to share with you is a photo Lara […]
Mark Roberts and Lara Donovan are the heart and soul of GoWeb1. They not only administer this website, but they also hold my hand, teach, encourage me through all my ideas, and they make all my changes. And keep in mind that technology and I have an uneasy relationship at best, so this has not […]
This past February, we had a Pileated Woodpecker visit our backyard for 3 days in a row and then it did not return. These crow-sized woodpeckers live across the lake from us in an over 200-acre riparian woodland*. Our Pileated flew straight across the lake from this riparian woodland and landed on the trunk of […]
The birds are having an unsettled time in our yard this week. This is a week of severe thunderstorms, high winds, and tornado warnings. Cleon and I have our emergency bag all ready for the storm shelter we have in our basement. Water, snack, laptops, cell phones. Today is the worst forecast – severe tornadoes […]
Spring migration followed by nesting season is just the best time in our yard to sit and watch birds. We have a patio and fire pit close to our small lake and as it is on the north side of the house, it is always shaded. Perfect for these late afternoons and evenings. If there […]