Chipping Sparrow

Well sticking with the format, the chipping sparrow came out on top this week. Remember to place your vote in the side bar poll for the bird you would like to see covered next. Even if your bird does not have enough votes for this week, I do count the votes for a bird the following week. The Indigo bunting and rose-breasted grosbeak each have one vote this week being applied from people who voted for them last week.

Before starting this weeks bird I want to update you on the birds of interest in my back yard this past week. There were two events that were pretty cool. I thought my black-capped chickadee's left the nesting box for another nesting site. Well I quit paying attention to the box and noticed increased activity again a couple of weeks back. This week I noticed 2 chickadee's going in and out of the box and I noticed one taking small worms back each time. I assumed it was the male feeding the female as she sat on eggs. I waited until yesterday and decided to open the box and check the condition off the eggs. Much to my surprise there was 4 little chickadee's in the nest with full feathers. Two of them flew out really fast. I closed the box and chased them down. Both were returned to the nest and mom was right back in the box taking head count and making sure all was well. I watched her and dad feeding them all day today and I always see a little head looking out the box waiting for food. If I had to guess I think they'll be out of the box and on their own sometime this week. It was really cool to hold the 2 babies. They have the full colors but are about a third of the size as a full chickadee.

I also had a magnolia warbler visit the yard yesterday. I was in the back yard washing and refilling hummingbird feeders when I noticed it in a branch above my head. The color on him was spectacular and he stayed around for about 10 minutes bouncing between the tree and bushes. I would like to see what really visits the yard while I'm not home. I work a mid-day shift so I really do not get a chance to see many birds except on the weekends. Oh well I'm fortunate to get allot of birds so I always stand a chance of seeing something different. But now to the chippy.

The chipping sparrow is a common garden or yard bird that can often be seen feeding on dropped seeds beneath feeders. Its diet consist of insects and seeds and I have found that white millet in a ground feeder really draws them in. As a matter of fact the chipping sparrow is one of my favorite birds during the summer and a main reason I keep a ground feeder filled with the white millet. If you do invest in a ground feeder I recommend getting one that is covered if you live in a place where rain and snow is common, if not you'll be throwing away seed after every rain and also the seeds start sprouting.

As you can see from the picture they are a small (5") gray brown sparrow with a clear gray breast, rusty crown and white eyebrows. They have a black eye line and thin gray to black bill. The wings have two faint wing bars. The female is the same as the male and the juvenile is similar to the adult except it has a streaked breast and lacks the rusty crown. The name comes from the males slow "chip" call. Often you'll hear people just refer to them as a chippy.

They use a cup style nest that the female builds and is usually placed in low dense shrubs and is almost always lined with animal hair. They will usually produce 2 broods per year. They lay between 3-5 eggs that are blue green with brown markings. The incubation period is 11-14 days and the female incubates. Once hatched the fledgling stage last 10-12 days and both parents feed the young.

They do migrate for winter and their migration is complete to southern states, Mexico and Central America. Also they migrate at night in flocks of 20-30 birds. You can often see them gathering in large family groups to feed in preparation for migrating.

To sum them up they are a wonderful little bird that is really one of the better looking sparrows. They are easy to attract and really need no special feeders to attract them. If you feed birds in your yard just look on the ground below feeders and your likely to see one. They can be very unafraid of humans allowing you to approach closely before they fly away. The next time your watching birds in your yard keep an eye on the ground for these wonderful little birds.

The Baltimore Oriole

Finally managed to attract a Baltimore Oriole to the yard this year after three years of trying. As you can see from the picture I was also lucky enough for it to be a male. Unfortunately there was no female so he did not stick around longer than a day, but it was a great day.

I saved the votes from the previous week and the oriole came out on top with three vote. The 2 votes that the chipping sparrow received will be added to next weeks total.

I was under the impression that you would need an open area near some woods in order to attract them. I live in a populated urban area and had given up on getting them after not seeing even one in three years. The large number I saw last week while bird watching and talking to a lady who said she lives in an urban area and gets allot of them convinced me to give it another try. I put the orange half's out on Monday and the handsome fellow in the picture showed up on Wednesday.

If you want to try and attract them to your yard, they eat insects fruit and nectar. The bird in the picture would hang from my hummingbird feeders and drink away. They sell oriole feeders at bird stores and even Wal-Mart. The nectar is also sold only colored orange. You can just use the recipe I put up on the side bar and it will work as well. The best feeder I've found looks just like a feeder for a hummingbirds with some added features. It has a flat tray which holds nectar. The top has dimples where you can put grape jelly. (they also love grape jelly) and the hanger that screws into it is pointed so you can add an orange half as well. It truly is an oriole's dream. You can also just put an orange half on a fence, tree or post as I did, if you have a picnic table out back it will also work, just be aware that the orange half's do attract ants.

The male is easily distinguished from the female. He is a bright flaming orange with a black head and black extending down the nape of the neck on to his back. He also has black wings with white and orange wing bars. He has an orange tail with black streaks and has a grey bill and dark eyes. The female is a pale yellow with orange tones, grey brown wings, white wing bars and dark eyes. The juveniles look the same as the female.

The oriole is a bird that does migrate. It's migration is complete to Mexico, Central American and South America.

It builds a pendulous nest that the female builds. They produce 1 brood per year and lay 4-5 bluish eggs with brown markings. The incubation period is 12-14 days and the female incubates. The fledgling stage is 12-14 days and both parents feed the young.

The oriole has a great song and I've always heard them before I've seen them. Their song is similar to the American robin but just a little different. If your familiar with the sound of a robin and hear something that sounds close but is not quite right, keep your eyes open as there's a chance it's an oriole. Once your familiar with it you'll have no problem identifying when they are around. I've read they often return to the same area each year, so once you have them coming in there's a good chance you'll get them to return next year. I can not say that this is correct as this is my first year getting one, however I will have oranges and grape jelly all over the yard next spring and I'll be able to give my opinion then. They are also some of the last birds to arrive here in Ohio (May) and one of the first to start migrating back out in the fall. (September)

I hope this posting helps motivate you to search out the Baltimore oriole. There are few birds that can match its color and beauty. If your not getting them yet in your yard, check your local bird store or park and see where you'll be able to locate and see one. Once you see your first, you'll have all the motivation you need to try and have them visit your back yard.

I've posted which birds I've spotted visiting my yard this past week in the side bar and will continue to do this weekly. Based upon where you live, it may help you identify where a certain species of bird may be during the migration. Also The vote will be reset for next weeks bird and the chipping sparrow already has a 2 vote lead from last week. Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to sharing more on a different bird next weekend.

Red-Winged Blackbird

Sticking with the wishes of the voting, the red-winged blackbird won by one vote. As promised that will be this weeks topic.

First I want to start by saying that me and my wife went bird watching yesterday. After a trip 90 minutes west, we were at Magee marsh. This is listed as a top spot in the United States to watch the spring migration. The only reason we went was to see a Scarlet Tanager like we saw last year. Well we did not see that but every bird nut in a 100 mile radius was there. So after a few birds we have already seen and fighting the crowd we decided to go to a place that is 7 minutes from our house. Only now it's 97 minutes after the trip west.

Once we got there we were amazed by the number of Orioles we saw. She had to call work before we started and while standing next to her there 25 yards in front of me in a bush was a male Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. We're there 5 minutes and already it beat the other place. She got off the phone and we start a slow walk on a trail through the woods that eventually leads to wet lands. We looked up and one of the Bald Eagles that nest there was soaring high over head. As I watched him my wife pointed into a tree and said "that Cardinal sounds strange." With out even lifting my binoculars I could tell it was the Scarlet Tanager we wanted to see. As many times that we had been to this place we never saw one. He stayed for a while and let us enjoy him on an open branch. We went another 20 yards and there was the female Scarlet Tanager 5 yards away. She did not have a care in the world and stayed there even longer than the male. In order to save time and get to the blackbird I'll finish by saying I saw my first Prothonotary Warbler as well as watched a Sandhill Crane sitting on a nest. She finally stood up and there were the two largest eggs I've ever seen. I'll have to cover the rest of the walk in another post.

I did see plenty of Red-Winged Blackbirds. It amazes me how different the male and female look. The male has its familiar flame red shoulder patch bordered in yellow, the female brown above and heavily streaked below with a buff to white eyebrow. Their song is a dead give away. If your familiar with the bird you know it well, if not try doing a google search for a sound byte of it. It truly is one of the nicest songs during the spring and summer.

The red-winged blackbird is a sure sign of spring when they return to the marshes here in NE Ohio. There have been reports of flocks of up to 100,000 birds. I'm not sure how they came up with that number but it's pretty incredible. The males are the first to return and they defend their territory of 1/8 - 1/4 acre by singing from the tops of surrounding vegetation. I witnessed this several times yesterday. Males repeat their song from the tops of cattails while showing off their red and yellow wing bars. Females will then choose a mate and will usually nest over shallow water in a thick stand of reeds or cattails. They build a cup style nest and usually have 2-3 broods a year. They usually lay 3-4 eggs which are greenish blue with brown markings. The incubation period is 10-12 days (the female incubates) and the fledgling stage is 11-14 days and both parents feed the young.

As for food sources they eat insects and seeds. They will come to feeders alone or in flocks that are filled with either cracked corn or some seed mixes.

As far as the migration is concerned, it's a complete migration to southern states, Mexico and Central America.

I hope this helps those of you that have the right habitat in your are and they visit your yard. They truly are a spectacular bird and one to enjoy during the spring and summer. I'll update the poll for next weeks bird and will start by letting you know that the Baltimore Oriole is up 2 votes already from last weeks poll. My goal is to cover the birds which the readers of this blog most want to see. Thanks for stopping by and I'll have anew post sometime next weekend.

After Some Soul Searching Here's my conclusion

After sitting back a week and deciding what direction I would take concerning the blog, I came up with the following conclusion.

I put up the recommended site meter and the hits are less than impressive, definitely not enough to post more than once a week. I realize I do not make the blog circuit but my life allows little to no time for that. I also realize I'm tapping into a subject that is not as popular as some.

However there are several people expressing their desire to see the blog continue. I've always had the state of mind that if I can help or touch just one person in a positive way then it's worth my time.

With that being said, this is what I came up with. From this date forward I will post on a bird or something relating to birds once a week. The post will be put online either Saturday or Sunday of each week. If for some reason I will not be able to make that time frame I will post on Friday giving the date I'll be posting next. I will still try to keep it in that weeks time frame. If there are any subjects or birds you would like to see a post on simply drop me an email at ohiohunter@windstream.net. I'll also try to keep a poll up asking which bird you would like information on in my next post. The poll will only run from Sunday - Wednesday so I'll have enough time to get the information and post it. If there are no responses I'll pick the topic my self.

I'm going to give this a 3 month trial and see how it goes. If visitors are up and all is going well I'll continue it. If it drops I'll revisit the idea of shutting it down. Thanks to all of you that posted encouragement to keep this up and running. It was heart warming and gave me the boost needed to continue. My next blog will be Saturday or Sunday May 3-4. I'll put up a poll with a list of birds tonight and it will run through Wednesday evening. You should have an idea of what's next based upon the poll. Thanks again for the encouragement and I'll do my best to make the post informative as possible.

The Eastern Bluebird

One of the most anticipated for allot of people come spring, is the return of the Eastern Bluebird. While I do not get them in my yard, I did try for about 3 years (not knowing any better) and I do often go to places that do get them to observe them.

While I did plenty of research trying to attract them, I can't really make any observations other than those witnessed at some local park around here. I will however cover all I have learned while researching them as well as use sources available to me for this post.

So let me start by saying this is one of my top 10 favorite birds. I still get excited every time I see once and I'm jealous of those of you lucky enough to have them visit your yard. I'm hoping my sister Toni will have the luck of them nesting in her yard this year as she does get them.

The eastern bluebird is reminiscent of its larger cousin the American Robin, with a rusty red breast and white belly. It has a sky blue head, back and tail. Perhaps the only pretty bird with blue coloring that I've observed is the indigo bunting. I'll save those for a later post.

Once a more common bird, bluebirds severely declined in population do to habitat loss and the introduction of the house sparrow in 1851 and starlings in 1890. (We know my opinion of the starling.) These two species compete heavily for the nesting cavities bluebirds need. So I spent 3 years booting sparrow out of boxes until it became obvious that I was not going to attract any bluebirds. Thanks to the efforts of the North American Bluebird Society and thousands of people who put up bluebird nesting boxes, bluebird populations are now on an upswing. If you have bluebirds in your are, you can do your part and help make a difference by putting up bluebird boxes and creating a bluebird trail.

While putting up one box you can help, many people put up several boxes to try to attract them. Several bluebird houses put up in a given area is often called a "bluebird trail." I see one of these every day as I go to work along a freeway that goes through a stretch of country. I also see them along a trail at a local metro park. The trails are usually found along a trail or in the case where I see them going to work, along a road on a fence line so they can be monitored.

When creating a trail the houses should be placed approximately 100 yards a part in open, not heavily wooded, areas that have short or little ground vegetation. They like have small trees, shrubs or other perches with in 100 yards of their box. Perhaps if your in an area that is right but you do not have enough property, if you know a neighbor enjoys the birds you could set it up between the two properties.

A bluebird house should have the following dimensions. Entrance hole diameter is 1 1/2". The height above the floor should be 6"-7". Inside floor dimensions are 4"X4" and the total height of the box between 11"-12". You should try and place your boxes 4'-6' up om a tree, post or pole and place it facing away from your feeders because they do like their privacy. They sell bluebird boxes everywhere including Walmart for like $9.99.

You can also attract them to your yard by feeding them. Most of the feeders I've seen for bluebirds are clear plastic on the sides and enclosed. There are openings on each end and the birds go inside to eat. You can use either meal worms from a bird store or bait and tackle shop, or they sell bluebird nuggets in a bag at some places. They are basically suet balls and I'm sure they must work as plenty of places sell them. you can also use a shallow dish to feed them or wild birds unlimited and Yankee Droll sell feeders that are all clear plastic and have a dome that can be raised or lowered to restrict the size of the birds using it. I have the one from Wild Birds (The Dinner Bell) and absolutely love it. You can really get creative feeding the birds with it and vary the food from fruit to seed.

Males are the first to return in the spring followed by the females a week or two later. The males search out a good territory that includes a good nesting site. He then courts the female by singing and doing a wing wave (raising and quivering one or both wings.) He may also feed her to further entice her.

The female selects the nesting box and builds the nest. This process can take several days to more than a week.

After the incubation period of 12-14 days, the eggs hatch. She can lay between 4-5 eggs which are pale blue without markings. For the first several days the female keeps the babies warm by brooding them, the male brings food for all of them. Once the babies have enough feathers to keep them self's warm, both parent will then split the feedings. The babies will remain in the nest for the next 15-18 days. They grow fast more than doubling their weight in a weeks time. Their eyes open between 4-7 days and by the 15th day they are completely feathered. The babies will leave the box somewhere between 17 to 22 days.

The fledgling are cared for by the parents from 2-4 weeks. Fledgling refers to the period from the time they hatch until they are able to fly or leave the nest. While some birds may be able to leave the nest with in hours of being born, it may be weeks before they are able to fly. Until the birds are actually able to fly they are considered fledglings. Birds that are still in the nest are referred to nestlings. Hopefully this will clear up some of the terminology I use from time to time.

The female can produce 1-2 broods per year. Often if she has a second brood, the first brood help to raise the young of the second. After breeding family groups remain near their nesting areas until they begin to migrate south. They will then travel in flocks feeding on fruit and what ever insects they can find.

Hopefully this post will help encourage you to try and help attract bluebirds to your property. If where you live is not the proper habitat as is the case where I live, you can make a donation to a bluebird society or even just donate a bluebird box to one of your local parks. It will be through these efforts that we can ensure the bluebirds will continue to flourish and that future generations will be able to enjoy their beauty.

Hummingbird Nest Documentary - High Quality

Here's a great video I found of hummingbirds from egg to the day they leave the nest. Hopefully I can be lucky enough to witness this first hand

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

Well it's that time of year again, time for the return of the ruby-throated hummingbirds. Here in Ohio they usually arrive from mid April to early May. As I stated in my last post they usually arrive in my back yard here in northern Ohio around May 5th.

I think allot of people do not realize how easy they are to attract. As you can see in the picture taken by my sister Toni, they are not shy at all either. As a matter of fact I had them landing on my finger last year while feeding. I would simply hold the feeder still while cupped in my hands and they would come in, buzz around looking at me for a second then settle in and start lapping up the nectar. The trick was keeping the feeder close to the location that you had it placed. This feeder just happened to be on my kitchen window. It was nice to wake up each day and watch them feed.

There are several ways to attract them to your yard. The obvious is the use of a feeder. Here in northern Ohio, I always put mine out on April 15th. It's better to put them out early while they are still migrating than putting them out late. Putting out multiple feeders out is also a good idea as they are very territorial. I watch them chasing each other off of the feeders all summer. Also space your feeders out. Like I said they are territorial and if they constantly have to fight for one feeder there's a chance they just may move on to another location.

There is no need to buy the nectar mix though you can if you like. I found that using a simple mixture of four parts water to one part sugar works great. I just put four cups of water to one cup of sugar. I then put it on the stove and bring it to a boil. Once it starts boiling turn the heat off and let it cool. You can then fill your feeders and what ever you do not use you can put it in the refrigerator. It will keep for about two weeks. Also there is no need to add food color. While it's not true that red attracts them, sum research suggest the dye is also not good for them. My neighbor was using the store bought nectar last year with red coloring to it. He could not understand why the hummingbirds preferred my feeders over his. I told him to make his own mixture and once he did the hummers started feeding in his back yard as well.

Keeping the feeder clean is a must. I change the nectar at least twice a week during the summer, more if it's a really hot week. You can smell the feeder and tell that it needs changed. Also if you notice that your not seeing the hummingbirds at a feeder you normally see them at, it's a good sign the feeder needs washed and the nectar changed.

Another thing you'll want is a mote above the feeder. These are simply a cup that hangs from the post or Shepard's pole you have the feeder at. You fill the mote with water and this prevents ants from getting to the feeder. If the feeder has ants in it (and it most certainly will with out a mote) the hummers will usually stop using it. You can find the ant motes at any bird feeding store, online and sometimes at Walmart. They run from .99 to about $5. I'm also sure if you google it there are directions online for making your own.

It's also a good idea to plant flowers and shrubs which will attract them. Red petunias are good or any plant with a trumpet shaped flower. A honey suckle bush really draws them in. If you go to most garden centers or even Lowes or the Home Depot, most of the plants are labeled and will say if they attract humming birds. But once again the most important thing is feeder placement. Do not hang your hummingbird feeders with your other bird feeders, keep the separate. Also as I stated before try to put out more than one feeder. I usually place my feeders among my bushes and flowers, a place your most likely to find them with out the feeders.

The ruby-throated hummingbird is found through out the entire eastern half of the United States. They range as far west as Texas and as far north as Canada. During the winter migration they will fly non stop across the Gulf of Mexico to get to Central America. That being said, it just another reason to put some feeders out for these little gems so they are well fueled for their journey.

One tool you can use to attract hummingbirds that I forgot to mention earlier is a mister. This connects to a garden hose and puts a fine mist into the air. Hummingbirds do not "usually" come to bird baths, instead they usually obtain their water as they fly through a rain or mist. I do not have one but have watched video of them using a mister and it's pretty cool watching them use it. I may get one this year, if I do I'll try and get some pictures and post on it at a later date.

I'll leave you with some facts on them in closing. A hummingbird beats its wings 53 time a second. It's extremely short legs prevents it from walking or hopping. Instead it tends to shuffle along a perch. It can however use its tiny legs to reach over its wings and scratch its head. As I told you earlier feeder placement is more important than the color red. It eats by hovering at flowers, sap wells and feeders. They have an extremely long tongue used to retrieve the nectar. It also flies along catching bugs in the air and plucking them from leaves. They will also pluck spiders from webs. They usually only lay 2 eggs in an open cupped nest placed 6-50 feet off the ground with an average height of 10-20 feet off the ground. They breed in mixed woodlands and eastern deciduous forest, gardens, and orchards. They winter in tropical deciduous forest, tropical dry forests, scrub land, citrus groves, and second growth.

I hope I've covered all you need to know about the species. I also hope it has encouraged you to draw these little emerald jewels to your yard and garden. If your not looking for them you will often dismiss them as a bee. I'm sure once you start feeding them and attracting them to your yard you'll always be looking forward to the day they return and dreading the day they head south for the winter. As always if there's a question you have that I did not answer just leave a comment or send me an email.

Finally got Chickadees to nest here

It's been a great week for birds here. To start with me and my wife were going to my mom and dads house to look after their cats while on vacation. They live in a very nice neighborhood in the western suburbs of Cleveland about a half an hour west. They in an area where there was once country property about a half a mile away. Now the country is at least five miles away as it has become all houses.

Well as we were going down a main street leading to their house, I noticed a large bird fly across the road that from a long distance I assumed was a hawk. The closer I got the hawk became a goose. As I finally got close enough to make out what it was you can only imagine how surprised I was to see a wild turkey standing in someones front yard. I was absolutely blown away. We pulled over and it just stood there as if it was not big deal for about five minutes. It was a beautiful day out and it stayed and let us watch until a lady pulling a wagon with young children in it walked by. The lady was amazed as we were. The turkey ran across the street into another back yard and hopped up on a fence and just sat there. My parents will be surprised to find out there was a turkey on the street next to theirs while they were gone.

I'm also on vacation this week so I was sitting on my couch drinking coffee when I noticed two chickadee's going in and out of the nesting box I have in the weeping cherry tree in my front yard. After three years of trying to get them to nest they have finally moved in to raise a family. For two days now they have been working constantly building their nest and the male has been busy as well not only building but chasing every other bird away from the area. It's been funny watching him and a tufted titmouse going at it every day.

So I know I said I was going to try and do blue birds this week but the chickadees have taken center stage so I will cover them and get to the blue birds soon.

The black-capped chickadee is a small (5") bird that is grey with a black cap and throat patch. It has white chest, tan belly and small white wing marks. In the picture I took today you can see one of them I caught as it flew from the box.

They are an easy bird to attract to your yard by either a proper nesting box or seed feeder. Their diet consist of insects, seed and suet. I use a cardinal/chickadee blend which consist of black oil sunflower seeds, Safflower seed and sunflower hearts. I also have a cling type feeder that only them and red breasted nut hatches use that I fill with sunflower hearts. They also visit my fly through feeder in my back yard and eat the raw peanut half's I put in there.

If your going to use a nesting box here is what you'll want to use. The entrance hole should be 1 1/8" - 1 1/2" in diameter. The height of the hole should be 6"-7" above the floor. Inside floor dimensions should be 4"X4" - 5"X5". Finally the total box height should be 9"-12". As for habitat they like suburban or rural areas with a mixture of trees and open areas. As far as placement of the box you should put it 5'-10' up on a tree or post. If you have some dead trees on your property it may be a good idea to leave one or two as they will excavate holes in those as well to nest in.

I find conflicting information on how many broods they have each year. Some sources say 1 brood while others say 2. Hopefully this will be the first of many years that they nest here and I'll be able to evaluate that my self. I will also give updates on the birds and babies as the process goes on. With any luck I may even be able to snap a photo of the babies in the nest as I check on their health and to see how many they had.

Chickadees are usually the first to find a new feeder. Once you identify their song you'll always know when they are around. There are a couple different versions but the most common is the familiar "chika-dee-dee-dee-dee". They can easily be tamed and hand fed. I often find them following me around the yard as I fill the feeders. You will often see them during the winter with other birds such as woodpeckers and nuthatches. You will often see them in flocks during the winter and once spring arrives the males become more territorial and begin to defend their territory by song and chasing other birds away. Also look for the males to start feeding the female during the courtship. He'll get an insect or seed and flies to the female who give a high thin call, quivers her wings and takes the food from the male. I've seen this a couple of times already and it's pretty cool.

So I could go on but I've given you the basic information if you want these cute little birds in your yard. If you live in Ohio you'll want to put your humming bird feeders out on April 15th. I do this every year and they usually show up here around May 5th. The reason for getting them out early is so as they migrate north they will have a place to stop and refuel. Also you never know when they just might stay. I'll be posting again before the 15th about humming birds. You can look for that post probably late Saturday or Sunday. After that I promise to get to those blue birds.

Spring Is Finally Here

Well at least by the calender, spring has finally arrived. The weather here in Ohio has yet to really prove that, but some signs are starting to occur.

The robins have finally started showing up in the yard. I saw my first one in probably the second week of March. Since then we have had a couple snow storms that really have made it seem more like mid January. However there is a break in temperatures this week.

One thing I did do was help the early arriving robins by going to Gander Mountain sporting goods and getting some night crawlers. I would put about 3 at a time in a pie plate and sit it in the snow. With in minutes 2 robins would fly down and feast on the easy meal. I still see the same two every day looking for a hand out even though the snow is now gone.

Robins are not really attracted by food sources such as seed. I did however see them in my fly though feeder from time to time while the ground was covered in snow. They will occasionally come to fruit such as apples or berries. The would prefer earthworms and insects.

You can try attracting them to your yard by placing a platform or shelf on the side of a barn or garage especially if they are located under an eave or overhang where they are protected from rain. My mom always has robins nesting in a decorative wooden frame hanging on the side of their house. It's always fun to watch them feed the babies while sitting on the back porch.

Robins can be heard singing all night long in the spring. It's really easy to tell a female from a male robin. The male has a dark head, nearly black and a brick red breast. The female has almost a grey head and a dull red breast. Robins are not listening for worms when they cock their heads to one side. They are looking with eyes placed far back on their heads.

So that is the start of the migration. My sister has informed me that she is seeing bluebirds in southern Indiana. My aunt which also lives here in Ohio told me on Easter that she saw the first bluebirds of the season on Valentine's day. I do not see them here in my yard but often see them while walking in parks. So I will try to cover cover bluebirds on my next post. I'm sorry for not posting in so long but I've had other business eating up my time. Hopefully this WILL be the start of getting back to posting regularly.

The Spring Migration

Please remember to help our feathered friends in their journey by providing food and water.