Bird in the Spotlight: Violet-green Swallow
And…action! It’s always a production when swallows return to the Pacific Northwest each spring. Our first glimpses of their arrival is often while they’re “performing”: swooping and looping through the...
View ArticleFlash, Bang, Boom? Making the 4th of July More Wildlife-Friendly
As a family, we’ve spent most Independence Days here at home, barbecuing in the afternoon or evening and setting off fireworks after dark. Because we’re homebodies, we don’t usually see the aftermath...
View ArticleBirding Doesn’t End When Winter Approaches…5 Things to Do to Prepare for Fall...
It’s “the lull” – that period of time when the activity around many Northwest feeders noticeably quiets down. A handful of the usuals are still around, like finches, chickadees, Steller’s Jays, but...
View ArticleSpreading Holiday Cheer? Don’t Forget the Birds!
Well, here we are. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and the start of Hannukah. It’s so easy to get “wrapped up” in our holiday preparations that we forget to include the birds in the festivities. If you’re...
View Article“Listen to the Young Voices”…It’s World Wildlife Day, 2017
Great movements in human history often start because of the need to stand up to cruelty, unfairness, and governmental overreach. Have you noticed that good usually wins? In the realm of nature, we have...
View ArticleBird Tracks in the Columbia River
One day this past August, when the Columbia River was quite low and the sky a mysterious burnt umber, I seized the opportunity to do some wading with my daughter to explore parts of the river bed...
View ArticleThe Best Way to View Nesting Birds and Nestlings: Bird Cams
Love is in the air, friends. It’s the time of year when feathered males become show-offs, feathered females roll their eyes, and before you know it, a nest is built and itty-bitty beaks are soon...
View ArticleMallards: Give ‘em a Brake
Mallards, the most familiar, recognizable, and widespread duck in North America, typically nest near water sources such as lakes, ponds, and rivers. Occasionally, they nest farther away, and because...
View ArticleMallards on the Freeway: An Unexpected Rescue on I-405
The day after I witnessed the scene I told you about yesterday, my co-worker, Katy, was travelling with a friend on I-405 near Newcastle, WA, when she saw several little somethings running on the...
View ArticleDon’t Miss These Puget Sound Area Events for Birders
Well, friends, summer is ebbing away. There’s a coolness in the morning air, the days are getting shorter, and kids are heading back to school. Shorter days means less daylight for walks and birding,...
View ArticleBird in the Spotlight: Ruby-crowned Kinglet
A diminutive songbird seen throughout most of North America, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet is not too skittish around people, which gives us birders a better chance to catch a glimpse of one. If the male of...
View ArticleBird in the Spotlight: Purple Finch
The Purple Finch is often confused with similar birds in the family Fringillidae, such as Cassin’s Finch and the slimmer House Finch. It is, however, fairly easy to identify once you know what to look...
View ArticleBird in the Spotlight: Anna’s Hummingbird
How dare I feature the Rufous Hummingbird here on Pacific Northwest Birders but not its rival, the Anna’s Hummingbird. Contenders for the same food sources in spring and summer, the more-testy Rufous...
View ArticleBird in the Spotlight: Mourning Dove
One of the most widely hunted game birds in North America, the Mourning Dove is a year-round resident whose range extends from parts of lower Canada to south of Mexico. The Mourning Dove is often...
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