Tag Archives: bird watching

10 Fall Plants that Attract the Birds: Part 4

This morning, the kids and I hunted around the yard for pine cones. We wanted to slather them with peanut butter and roll them in birdseed as a Thanksgiving feast for the birds that visit us. Unfortunately, it looks like the squirrels might have gotten to them all, because there was not a single pine cone to be found, including the one that served outside of one of our fairy houses. Still, there are other ways of attracting the birds. I have been mentioning different fall plants that will work. We are now at the end of this list. Here … Continue reading →

10 Fall Plants that Attract the Birds: Part 3

Thanks to some of our fall plants and trees, and the inclusion of a large window bird feeder, our view out of our window is not lacking for the number of birds. The little things are always pleasant to watch, and their antics are enjoyable. Did you know that the plants that you add to your landscaping can greatly impact the number and type of birds that visit? If you missed the earlier posts on this topic click here: 10 Fall Plants that Attract the Birds and 10 Fall Plants that Attract the Birds: Part 2. 5. Perennial Sunflowers This … Continue reading →

10 Fall Plants that Attract the Birds: Part 2

In my household, the kids are just as excited to watch the birds outside of our dining room window as they are to watch television. I kid you not. Fall is when they put on the very best show. We have a large bird feeder, as well as some plants that tend to attract a colorful array of birdie personalities. In this series, I’ll be sharing some of the best plants (and trees) that attract birds in the fall. If you missed the first post, just click here. 3. Elderberry When I first spotted the elderberry on our property, I … Continue reading →

10 Fall Plants that Attract the Birds

Now that fall is here, we have been enjoying the cardinals for whom the pine tree outside of our dining room window appears to be particularly comforting. These bright red birds with the black masks are always a treat to enjoy, especially when they show off their colors against the green pine needles or the white winter snow that is sure to fall sometime in the next month or so. If you want to attract cardinals and other birds that may be visiting in the fall, consider providing them with a birdie buffet of all of their favorite plants. These … Continue reading →

More Fall Family Fun In New England

So you touched the shark while eating a cream puff and now you are looking for more family fun in New England… no problem. Autumn brings with it a plethora of offbeat kid-friendly activities to the northeastern portion of the country. If you plan to be in Connecticut or Massachusetts this fall you may consider checking out the following noteworthy events: Swallow Migration From now until mid-October, thousands of tree swallows flock to the long grassy reeds of Goose Island, located near the mouth of the Connecticut River. (The island is on their migration route to the Gulf Coast and … Continue reading →

Creating A Bird Book

Can your kids tell a tufted titmouse from a black capped chickadee? Children are naturally full of wonder at the world, and if we slow down a bit, they will patiently teach us to re-experience some of that joy that can be found when everything in the world is new and exciting. That is why I love this activity. Keeping a bird book is a fun way to teach children about the wonders of nature. It also helps teach observation and organization skills. But, my children and I do it mostly because it really is a lot of fun. The … Continue reading →

Travel Tidbits: It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane, It’s… A Swarm of Bees?

I don’t think there is a traveler out there whose heart wouldn’t race upon hearing the warning: “Prepare for an emergency landing.” So I can just imagine what passengers on board a flight from the United Kingdom to Portugal felt this weekend when they heard a “tremendous bang” after takeoff, and then the dreaded emergency landing warning. According to news reports, the “bang” passengers heard wasn’t a hydraulics problem or a piece of the plane snapping off; rather it was the sound of a swarm of bees being sucked into an engine. The good news is that no one was … Continue reading →

Spring Break Destinations

Since much of the country is either digging out or hunkering down for what the Weather Channel is calling “Valentine’s Day Storm 2007,” I thought it would be appopriate to turn the travel spotlight on destinations that typically experience much milder weather conditions this time of year. Over the next few days I will highlight popular sunny spots you may want to consider putting on your list of “Spring Break Destinations.” After all, despite what it may look like outside, spring is just around the corner. KEY LARGO, FLORIDA Key Largo, Florida is the northernmost island of the Florida Keys … Continue reading →

Bird watching

Did you know that there are 10,000 species of birds on our planet? Did you ever wonder how many you’ve seen? Some serious bird watchers (birders) keep a list of how many birds they’ve seen. They have rules for these lists. More than one person has to see the bird and agree with its identification, or a solidarity birder might take a photograph. They call their “birds I’ve seen list” a “life list”. I think keeping a life list would be a fun project to do as a family. We’ve never kept an official list, but we are all amateur … Continue reading →

Simple Bird Feeder Ideas

Have fun and give your feathered friends a treat at the same time! Bread and Breakfast Use slices of plain white bread or use assorted breads like wheat or rye. You can generally pick up day old bread at the bakery for little cost or you can just use what you have. Next, get out some cookie cutters and have kids cut the bread into whichever shapes they like. Adults can poke a hole through the top center of the bread. Large Christmas tree ornament hooks work great for hanging these up, or you can thread some twine threw them … Continue reading →