Regularly I get emails asking why there are fewer birds in one’s backyard this year, or why there are fewer blackbirds, or why hummingbirds are not coming to their feeders, or something like that. The answer is complicated. First of all, there are about 3 billion fewer breeding birds in the U.S. and Canada since …
I’ve written before about hearing impaired birding. It’s a challenge and I speak from personal experience. Unlike birds whose cochlear hair cells in the ear, which transmit sound to the brain, grow back, ours never do. As we age our hair cells die and our hearing diminishes. But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy birding. …
What do feathers mean? In many cultures, feathers represent a connection to spiritual realms. Coming from birds, feathers symbolize freedom, both mental and physical, from the bounds of the earth. In Native American cultures, feathers have always been significant parts of ceremonies, often used for clothing, decorations, tools, weapons and “dreamcatchers.” The Iroquois have a …
It wasn’t until my junior year in college when I took ornithology and started watching birds. My first bird guide was a Peterson. We didn’t ask for a bird guide when we wanted to look up that bird on the fence post, we asked for a Peterson. If you were a serious birdwatcher, you had …
