Ideas For Your Backyard

I love to watch birds, but I’ not a bird watcher, if you know what I mean.  This year I have been terribly confused and I am hoping that someone out there can help me.  We all know that the birds begin their migration in the fall, right?   As in years passed I watched the birds migrating to the south with the onset of the cooler temperatures.  Then in the coldest part of our winter (early this year, in December) flock after flock of geese/ducks started flying in from the south heading north.  Now with the promise of spring around the corner I’m watching flock after flock heading south.  What gives with this?  Can anyone help clear this up for me?  Does this happen every year and I just noticed it?

Put your favorite plants on proud display with this country-style stand! An apple-branch motif adds charm and color to a graceful triple-tier “gate” design.

Specifications:
19 1/4 in x 15 1/2 in x 19 3/4 in high.
…Wrought iron

This rustic birdhouse is the talk of the town.  What bird wouldn’t want to choose it to live in? Wood rustic birdhouse with red & lavender dormers, spigot, vine, and twisted wire door.

Made in the USA of plantation grown mahogany. 4 x 4 post mount included. This fine crafted bird feeder holds 4 quarts of seed. Keeps seed dry and allows feeding birds shelter from predators.

One of the favorite birds of people who are not necessarily serious students of other types of bird is the Purple Martin.  This friendly fellow returns the affection by preferring to live around humans.The Purple Martin or Progne subis has been lovingly housed by many for nostalgic reasons — their grandparents and parents had martin houses.  And this bird, for whom everyone watches eagerly in the spring, comes back to his established home year after year.

Hummingbirds are birds in the family Trochilidae, and are native to the Americas. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings 12–90 times per second (depending on the species). They can fly backwards, and are the only group of birds able to do so.   Their English name derives from the characteristic hum made by their rapid wing beats. They can fly at speeds exceeding 34 mph.

Hummingbirds feed on the nectar of plants and are important pollinators, especially of deep-throated, tubular flowers. Like bees, they are able to assess the amount of sugar in the nectar they eat; they reject flower types that produce nectar which is less than 10% sugar and prefer those whose sugar content is stronger. Nectar is a poor source of nutrients, so hummingbirds meet their needs for protein, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc. by preying on insects and spiders, especially when feeding young.

Wouldn’t you like to start feeding hummingbirds and draw them to your backyard, it can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummingbird

We’ve had an unusally warm spring. Beautiful as a matter of fact! That being said the last few days have been cooler and rainy. We need the rain so I’m not complaining. This morning while I was sitting on the porch looking out over the farm and watching the birds. I was surprised by a tiny little visitor. We have our first hummingbird of the year. This was one of the ruby throated. I can’t say that we’ve ever seen a ruby here until now. They are absolutely exquiste.

Nesting FAQs By Bill Thompson, III Editor | Bird Watcher’s Digest

Whether you’ve purposely set up a series of nest boxes or just discovered an unexpected bird nest in the bushes in your backyard, you’re likely to have a few questions. Nesting birds are exciting but also inherently vulnerable, and it’s only natural to want to make sure you’re doing the right things to facilitate the birds’ success. Below are answers to a few of the common questions and concerns that come up in spring when nesting birds are busiest!

Q: If you touch a baby bird that has fallen from its nest, will the parents detect your scent and abandon it?