On a bird walk at Crabtree Nature Center in early May, when trees still stood leafless though very warm weather had suddenly blown in, one small bird stood out like a little
Can there be a sweeter or more convincing herald of spring than the song sparrow? Certainly the bugling cries of sandhill cranes streaming overhead in March signal the emergence of fresh plant
When I first became a serious birder while living in northern Virginia, I heard friends talk about the Amercian woodcock (Scolopax minor) and its extraordinary aerial displays in early spring. But I
On a recent bird walk at Beverly Lake in Spring Creek Forest Preserve, our group stood for several minutes in the parking lot, transfixed by a river of blue jays passing overhead.
For the month of Valentine’s Day, it seems fitting to focus on a bird that incorporates the color red. The red-bellied woodpecker appears to be an apt choice. The bird, especially the
For many people in northern temperate zones, the primary place they watch birds in winter is at feeders outside their homes. The sight of an active band of feathered visitors – chickadees,
Lots of people ask me what my favorite bird is. I don’t hesitate to answer. It has been and, I suspect, always will be the eastern bluebird, the species that Henry David