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Dear Diane,
Red-winged blackbirds are back, beside
Birdwatching Dot Com's pond.
Woodcocks sing their nasal
peent song at dawn. Soon purple
martins will
return, and then the
hummingbirds!
We feel the urge to spruce up our purple
martin housing and replenish our collection
of hummingbird feeders.
Here at Birdwatching Dot Com, we have some
nice specials to help you get ready for
spring birdwatching.
See our sales and close-outs.
| Birding with your ears |
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As spring comes on, the world wakes up each
morning to the dawn chorus of birdsongs. At
this season, you can see more birds with your
ears than you can with your eyes.
You can hear in the dark. And through dense
foliage. You can even hear behind yourself
and around buildings. Here are tips on
recognizing birds just by their songs.
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| Ask Diane how to get purple martins |
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Dear Diane: I am trying to get purple martins
to nest in my purple martin nest box. What's
the trick?
It's simple. Just set up your martin housing
exactly the way the purple martins like it.
And make it
look and sound as if martins are nesting
there already. It's not as hard as it sounds...
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| Getting the whole picture |
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If you wear glasses, can you see the whole
picture through
your binocular? Or is the image constricted?
If you're missing something, maybe you need
new binoculars. Find out how much more you
might see with binoculars designed to work
with glasses!
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© Michael and Diane Porter, 2007-2008.
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The first hummingbird |
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For birdwatchers in the southern states,
hummingbirds are already returning. In the
west, Anna's hummingbird has been around all
winter.
The rest of us, in the Midwest and Northeast,
are still awaiting the first hummingbird of
spring. I like to think
about where he is now. Because he's on its way.
Here's a glimpse of what the first ruby-throated
hummingbird of spring
is doing right now, where he is, how he's
sleeping
at night
lately, and how he will find his way
back to your yard, where he found a feeder last
year.
Where is the first spring hummingbird now? |
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