Midwest bird watching
  • Home
  • Birds
    • Backyard Birds >
      • American Goldfinch
      • American Robin
      • Barn Swallow
      • Baltimore Oriole
      • Black-Capped Chickadee
      • Blue Jay
      • Carolina Chickadee
      • Dark-Eyed Junco
      • Downy Woodpecker
      • Eastern Bluebird
      • Hairy Woodpecker
      • House Wren
      • Mourning Dove
      • Northern Cardinal
      • Red-Winged Blackbird
      • Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
      • Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
      • White-Breasted Nuthatch
    • Non-Feeder birds >
      • Waterfowl
      • Wading Birds, Shorebirds & Gamebirds
      • Raptors
      • Doves, Cuckoos, Nighthawks & Whip-poor-will
      • Warblers
      • Small Non-Warbler Perching Birds
      • Woodpeckers & Kin
      • Sparrows & Kin
      • Swallows, Hummingbirds & Swifts
      • Blackbirds
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • Book Reviews
    • App Reviews
    • Free Downloads
    • Other Resources
  • Videos
  • Presentations
  • Photo gallery
  • Contact
  • Birding Locations
  • Checklist
  • Eliminate Predators
    • Cats
    • Others
  • Attracting Birds
    • Bird Feeders
    • Nesting Boxes
    • Plants
    • Food
    • Tools
    • Water Supply

Mutant? Or failure to launch?

4/25/2020

 
Picture
Even if you are self-quarantined due to COVID-19, there’s always something new and interesting to see in your own yard. Take a look at this lovely gentleman, for example. It doesn’t look like the stereotypical American Goldfinch, does it? We’re heading toward mating season for the goldfinch, so by now most of the males you see at your feeders have almost finished molting into their trademark golden and black plumage. However, some males won’t finish changing into their breeding plumage until June. This failure to launch doesn’t necessarily condemn this bird to a life of bachelorhood living in his parents’ basement. There’s still hope for him. Since goldfinches feed on thistles and similar seeds, they breed later than most of our songbirds, waiting for those seeds to be in abundance to feed to their young. So never fear! This late bloomer will probably do some “adulting” and find a lovely mate. Or at least his parents hope so! Ha!

Duck, Duck, Goose!

4/15/2020

 
Let's play the children's game of "Duck, duck, goose!"
If I ask people to tell me the color of a male Mallard's head, most would say it is green. That's true in bright sunlight, but if you're lucky to catch one on a bright but overcast day, you'll see a beautiful blue sheen mixed with the blue. The females are no less lovely, sporting an intricate brown and white pattern with just a hint of rust.
If I ask people to describe the nest of a Canada Goose, I would get a range of answers, and all of them would likely be correct. Take a look at these two nests. One is a master woodworker that painstakingly wove twigs together to form a basket that Longaberger would envy. The other is a master at remodeling, transforming a tree stump into a perfect nursery.

Baltimore Orioles

4/15/2020

 
Picture
Picture
There are few birds more beautiful in song and plumage than the Baltimore Oriole. The song is liquid and rich resembling the sound of a flute, and both the male and female have beautiful orange and yellow colors accented with black and punctuated with white. I've put out the welcome mat for my resident Baltimore Orioles. They should be returning any day now to build their nest that resembles a stocking hanging from the outer tip of a branch. If you want to attract orioles, don't bother with that orange syrup they sell at the stores. Instead, put out orange halves or plain grape jelly. Better yet, plant a mulberry tree so you and the orioles can share the fruit!

    Author

    Alex Forsythe

    Archives

    May 2020
    April 2020
    July 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    October 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.