ONE HUNDRED AND twenty years ago, in 1898, my maternal grandparents left Russia. They traveled by rail from Saratov, Russia, to Hamburg, Germany. From there… Continue reading
BIRDS ARE WELL aware of the changes that take place in their environment. They’re super-sensitive to what is happening or has happened on their home… Continue reading
BABY DUCKLINGS ARE very small. Their fluffy feathers are misleading and cover up the truth that a miniature creation is beneath them. Add this to… Continue reading
THE FIRST TIME this incident occurred, or more correctly that I witnessed it, I assumed it was a one-time thing and that a chickadee had… Continue reading
“Psaltriparus minimus” is quite a mouthful – especially when you consider it is a name that belongs to a very tiny bird. Hence “minimus.” Of… Continue reading
CROWS TRIGGER VARIOUS human emotions as few other birds can. There are those of us who love them or hate them and everything else in… Continue reading
FEW BIRDS ARE as well camouflaged as those in the Empidonax Complex. Drab, greenish-gray plumage makes it possible for them to blend in with their… Continue reading
A RECENT PHOTO sent by email immediately grabbed my attention. The subject, a red-tailed hawk, isn’t an unusual photographic subject but this one was. It… Continue reading
“THERE IT GOES again.” The phrase popped into my head when I spotted a towhee diving toward a large clump of sword ferns. I’d seen… Continue reading
I BELIEVE IT is safe to say, “the gang’s all here.” Even though I haven’t seen any goldfinches yet, they have been reported. The only… Continue reading
A MORNING GREETING, especially an unexpected one, can get your day off to a good start. Penny dog always starts our morning off with wiggles,… Continue reading
THIS IS THE time of the year when those words from a song in “Oklahoma” come to mind: “Spring is busting out all over.” You… Continue reading
SAN FRANCISCO IS a big, busy and noisy city. Golden Gate Park plays a large role in keeping the citizens sane. It’s my favorite place… Continue reading
and beware. Spring is going to bust out all over the place whether you are in residence or… Continue reading
THE WEAKEST FEATURE in field guides is the description of a bird’s song or call. Trying to put into words what a bird’s song sounds… Continue reading
LAST MONTH, WHEN noting the number of bird festivals that take place during the year, the shorebird celebration on Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, was… Continue reading
THE FAMILIAR SAYING, “as the crow flies,” is no different than, “as the bird flies.” Simply said, it means “straight.” Bends in the road, hills… Continue reading
FEB. 28 IS the earliest date for returning rufous hummingbirds in my yard. That was a long time ago. They usually show up within the… Continue reading
BY THE TIME the garden work gets serious, our resident birds have already chosen their nesting territory. One of the first to pair off and… Continue reading
THE “BOUNCING BUGS” are back. That’s good news for the bushtits and other insect-eating birds. Temperatures rose just enough to encourage a hatching. Small clouds… Continue reading
