05
Sep
What you are hearing right now at 1:14PM Central Time …….
That rat-a-tat-tat which sounds so loud is actually a Downy Woodpecker drumming away on the post that holds the birdfeeder cam!
02
Sep
And a post script!
It is now 6:25AM Central time and I am on my second cup of coffee. The male and female cardinals have had their breakfast and a juvenile cardinal is now eating. My guess is that since it came right after the female, this is one of their juveniles. If you see it on the platform […]
02
Sep
Who is eating in the dark at 6:02AM?
Good Morning Everyone! It is 6:02AM Central Time and I am bleary-eyed at my desk having just taken my first sip of coffee. I just woke up the computer which runs the live-stream cameras. Even though it is still dark outside, the cameras do run all night and are lit so you can see black […]
31
Aug
Molting, Migration, Moving
You have probably noticed a decrease in the number of birds using our feeders and birdbaths over the past few weeks. And some birds have disappeared completely. Regardless of where you live in the United States or Canada, if you have feeders, it is most probable you will notice a decrease in birds at your […]
26
Aug
Spotted a Green Heron!
As you know, we live in central Illinois and August is NEVER a month to sit around a fire pit in the late afternoon. But this August has been so ‘un-normal’. We have had low humidity, days in the high 70’s, and nights in the high 50’s. We are beginning to wonder if we have […]
23
Aug
The groundhog is back! And it’s not just squirrels who are smart.
After circling the birdbaths a time or two, and then sitting on its haunches and just looking up at them, this is what happened. Success! He is drinking from the birdbath as I am drinking water at my desk. And I raised my glass – toasting his cleverness,
19
Aug
A Black-capped Chickadee? Are we sure???
Our good friends, Jim and Judy Oettel, live about 30 miles north of us. Both are very good birders, and it is always a joy to either go with them, or to hear about what they have seen and heard. They live in an older, well established, tree-filled neighborhood. The back of their house looks […]
14
Aug
15 crows in the backyard!
That is a whole lot of crows! At least for us. The most we have ever had is 5 and the usual number is 3. And to have them in our backyard at this time of year is rare. These are American Crows and live in the vast woodland across the lake from us. We […]
12
Aug
The kings have finally been spotted – Kingfishers and Kingbirds!
We have Belted Kingfishers around the shore of our lake all year. These are good-sized birds whose call is a loud, prolonged rattle*, but it has been months since we last heard or saw one. We finally spotted one a week ago and the first time we saw it, it was right off our patio […]
06
Aug
Another sign fall is on its way! Turkey Vultures are on the move!
Cleon and I have been travelling. Long days of driving. We never fly because we like to drive through different areas – and we are not birds, right? But seriously…. towns, cities, farms, lakes, woods – we love to see how people live and work in different areas all over our country and Canada. When […]