Birds of the Field and Forest
Beautiful Blue Jays
One of my fondest memories as a 10-year-old child was seeing these brightly colored birds in the wild when my family moved to a rural area from a suburban post World War II development where rows of cape cod houses and strip malls took the place of potato farmland. I was accustomed to seeing the […]
Red-Winged Blackbirds are Home Again
When I lived in New York, I always looked forward to the return of the red-winged blackbird as it was a sign that spring was coming. The males returned first, set up breeding places, defended these territories from rival males and awaited the return of the females. I often saw them at the tops of […]
A Small Dove in North America
When I fill my bird feeders, I always scatter seeds on the ground for those birds that forage on the ground. This persuades a dull colored, but cute little bird called the common ground dove. This dove is easy to tell from other doves because it is small (the size of a large sparrow), has […]
Snatching Bugs!
“Feeebe, Feebe,” calls a bird from nearby woodland. Anne and I are in the community pool and when I hear the familiar call. I tell Anne that it is an eastern phoebe. This flycatcher flies from the woodlands and perches on the cyclone fence enclosing the pool. It flies up five feet, then lands back […]
Victoria Crowned Pigeon
Wandering the forest floor in New Guinea, the Victoria crowned pigeon finds figs, a favorite and other fruit and seeds to eat. Although a ground-dwelling species, this bird is capable of flying into the trees if disturbed. This pigeon is a threatened species partly due to the loss of habitat from logging.
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