Cedar Waxwings are notorious frugivores. They have been known to gorge on overripe fruits & berries until they get tipsy & fall out of the tree\shrub. But if there is a hatch of flying bugs, like midges, they can rival flycatchers ‘sallying’ to take the insects on the fly. Especially in the spring when the […]
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Hermit Thrushes are the only species of the five Catharus family thrushes (brown-backed thrushes, Hermit, Veery, Swainson’s, Gray-cheeked, Bicknell’s) that winters in the US. Their taxonomic cousins migrate on to Central and South America.Hermit Thrushes are hardier and more cold tolerant than their taxonomic cousins. They can also accommodate more berries and fruits in their […]
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It is not a coincidence that the birds featured in this post are on a rotting stump in our yard. We leave stumps & snags – when safe – for the very reasons tree removal companies tell us not to: To attract ‘pests’. Pests like the wasps, beetles, spiders, ants and caterpillars that live in […]
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Eastern Towhees are sparrows and an exception to the sparrow look of ‘Little Brown Jobs’. Eastern Towhees and Spotted Towhees of the western North America were considered one species, Rufous-sided Towhee, until 1995. Famous for their “drink-your-tea” song, a group of towhees are called a “teapot”. Common and frequently heard across their range, but not […]
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