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Greetings,
Wind has been blowing the snow around in drifts, and everything is white. My bird feeders are in tremendous demand. Every time I go outside I see delicate tracks of juncos and goldfinches on the snow-dusted stone walk. A
fitting start to the new year. And here at Birdwatching Dot Com, we're celebrating the new year with some great sales
and close-outs.
| Small Victory |
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The downy woodpecker is tiny as woodpeckers
go. It's about the size of a sparrow, and its
bill is short — not long and powerful
like most woodpeckers'. But the downy is no
pushover.
Bigger birds can chase it from the feeder.
Give it a competitor its own size, though,
and we may
see a different story.
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| Ask Diane where birds sleep |
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Dear Diane: I just about freeze when I go out
to fill my bird feeders. And I wonder where
the birds go at night. Why don't they freeze
to death?
— Tiffany D., Portland,
OR
It is pretty amazing, that a wild bird whose
whole body is an inch thick can preserve
enough warmth to survive a winter night. How
do they do it? Here are some of their
favorite ways of making it through the night.
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| How 8 is more than 10 |
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A 10-power binocular makes things look 25%
taller and wider than does an 8-power
binocular. Sometimes people assume that means
it will let them see better.
Not necessarily. Here are three reasons why
you might see more with an 8-power than with
a 10-power binocular. (Especially if you wear
glasses.)
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Photos are copyright
Michael and Diane Porter, 2007-2008.
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Project FeederWatch |
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Every winter, birdwatchers in North America
count the birds
at their bird feeders. They report
their findings to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
The results of Project FeederWatch let us see
how our
backyard birds fit into the big picture.
Which birds are becoming scarce? Which are
increasing? What special
birds should we be watching for?
Be part of science and have a lot of fun. The
cost, $15, goes to support the Lab of
Ornithology.
Learn more / sign up |
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