Can anything beat the sight of a bright red Cardinal against a backdrop of white snow? As a resident of the Eastern Great Plains, the Northern Cardinal is a faithful visitor to feeders and can be one of the easier species to attract. It is such a popular and widespread species throughout the east, that…
One thing is inevitable. Winter is on the way and it is going to snow. So I thought it appropriate to feature the Snow Bunting as December’s bird of the month. It is a bird that endures wintry climates more than any other bird of its size. Snow Buntings are Arctic specialists, breeding across the…
Identifying the Hawk In Your Backyard Identifying birds of prey can be a challenge, and the two most challenging raptors are the Cooper’s Hawk and Sharp-shinned Hawk. Nearly identical in markings, range and behavior, these accipiters are closely related and can be difficult for even experienced birders to tell apart. Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper’s Hawk…
Backyard Bird Feeding 101 ! By: Dave Titterington The Wild Bird Habitat Store Autumn! A time of change. Winter will soon be settling in across the Central Great Plains and the signs are everywhere. Shorter daylight hours are changing the leaves from summer greens to autumn’s gold, red, and orange. The sweet aroma of a wood…
Leave some Leaves Autumn is definitely in the air and as temperatures begin to fall, so do the leaves. But before you rush out and scour the yard removing all the dead or dying organic matter from summer’s past, consider leaving some leafy debris under those shrubs and bushes. You’ll be surprised at the number…
Citizen Scientists It’s for the birds!!! The Value of Participating in Annual Bird Counts as a Citizen Scientist In 2001, Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology identified that the Chickadee population had reached a twelve-year record high. This information was gathered from the data provided by bird enthusiasts who participated as citizen scientists in several national…
Salt Marsh Sparrow Patrol Wachiska Audubon’s Monthly Field Trip Sea blite, salt marsh aster, and saltwort sound like the type of plants that would normally be found next to an ocean, yet they flourish in the landlocked saline wetlands of Lancaster and Saunders counties in Nebraska. A handful of local salt marshes host many unique salt-tolerant…
Most of our summer birds should now be on their way to warmer wintering territories. There may be a few stragglers. The molt will finish up and our permanent avian dwellers will return to the bird feeders. The nights will begin to cool down, days become noticeably shorter. Blackbirds are becoming restless. Birds have always…
Chickadees! One of everybody’s favorite backyard birds. This tiny dynamo weighs only 1/3 of an ounce, equivalent to 3 pennies, and its heart beats 500 times a minute while at rest. It is also one of our most loyal subjects in and around our bird feeding stations. Some folks have found it easy to hand…
Starring: Steve Martin, Jack Black & Owen Wilson A must see movie for all birders! Opening October 14 The Grand Cinema Downtown Lincoln, NE Watch the Movie Trailer “The Big Year” Birds & Bloom Magazine The Big Year The Big Year is a movie about three birding enthusiasts who race around North America in…