Category Archives: bird houses

Birds to brighten your day: April 24

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Photo by Chris Bosak
A black-capped chickadee checks out a birdhouse in a backyard in New England, April 2020. Merganser Lake.

A Day on Merganser Lake XV

Well, it doesn’t look like the bluebirds are going to nest in the bluebird box I got a few weeks ago. My property is not ideal habitat for them as it’s more wooded than open. At least they are still visiting every day and keeping me entertained. The good news is that black-capped chickadees keep checking it out. Hopefully a pair will decide to move in. They are not bluebirds but I’d certainly take it.

(Repeat text for context:  I’m running out of COVID-19 lockdown themes so from now until things get back to some semblance of normalcy, I will simply post my best photo from the previous day. You could say it fits because of its uncertainty and challenge. I’ll call the series “A Day on Merganser Lake,” even though that’s not the real name of the lake I live near in southwestern Connecticut, it’s just a nod to my favorite duck family.)

Photo by Chris Bosak
A black-capped chickadee checks out a birdhouse in a backyard in New England, April 2020. Merganser Lake.

Chickadee checks out birdhouse

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Photo by Chris Bosak A black-capped chickadee checks out a birdhouse in Danbury, Conn., during the spring of 2017.

Photo by Chris Bosak A black-capped chickadee checks out a birdhouse in Danbury, Conn., during the spring of 2017.

One of the biggest thrills in spring is seeing what birds are choosing your yard to raise a family. I have mourning dove and robin nests this spring, and this chickadee is checking out one of my four birdhouses. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen it since, so it likely found another home.

I did notice great-crested flycatchers flying into a large oak tree with nesting material in its bill. Hopefully that’s a good sign. I’ll certainly keep an eye out to see how that develops. I also have male and female hummingbirds coming to the feeders, so if hummingbirds nested in the yard somewhere, that would be cool.

As spring progresses, I’ll keep an eye out for what else might be nesting nearby. Drop me a line and let me know what’s nesting in your yard.

A happy little birdhouse photo

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Photo by Chris Bosak A birdhouse surrounded by blooming lilacs. A Black-capped Chickadee family has used this house for the last two years.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A birdhouse surrounded by blooming lilacs. A Black-capped Chickadee family has used this house for the last two years.

For no reason other than I like this shot and wanted to share it … here’s a happy little birdhouse photo for you. To make it even more happy, a Black-capped Chickadee family has used this house for the last two years.

House Wren picks out his territory

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A House Wren sings in a tree during the nesting season 2016.

A House Wren sings in a tree during the nesting season 2016.

The other day I heard the familiar sound of a House Wren returning from the south and claiming his territory. He check out a few of the bird houses on my property and then perched in nearby trees to sings its song. They are loud and charismatic birds.

I watched one check out at least two houses on my property. To my knowledge, he didn’t pick either one. He didn’t even pick one to start a “dummy nest,” whereby to fool predators that may be watching the put a few sticks in house.

Oh well, there’s still time. Not every House Wren has picked its spot yet.

A House Wren sings in a tree during the nesting season 2016.

A House Wren sings in a tree during the nesting season 2016.

A House Wren sings in a tree during the nesting season 2016.

A House Wren sings in a tree during the nesting season 2016.

Happy bird-related snow photo as another storm bears down on New England

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https://birdsofnewengland.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/birdhouse-snow.jpg

Photo by Chris Bosak
Snow covers a birdhouse the day after a storm hit New England during January 2016, Danbury, Conn.

With rain and snow due to hit New England at any moment (I’m writing this on Tuesday ((Feb. 23)) morning) here’s a happy little bird-related snow photo to lift your spirits. Spring is on its way. The birds are proving that with cardinals singing more and more and species such as Red-winged Blackbirds already migrating to the area

Spring is on its way … the birds are proving that with cardinals singing more and more and species such as Red-winged Blackbirds already migrating to the area. Until then, though, we have some more winter — and all its unpredictability — to get through. But that’s fine. Winter brings its own birding joys.

(By the way, my 12-year-old son did the painting of the house.)

For the Birds column: Snow is no problem for birds

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Tufted Titmouse and White-breasted Nuthatch share a feeder during a snowstorm in Danbury, Conn., Jan. 23, 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Tufted Titmouse and White-breasted Nuthatch share a feeder during a snowstorm in Danbury, Conn., Jan. 23, 2016.

Here’s the latest For the Birds column, which runs weekly in The Hour (Norwalk, Conn.) and Keene (NH) Sentinel:

…

One of my favorite times to watch birds is when the snow is falling. Not a driving snow with icy temperatures and high winds, but an otherwise rather pleasant day with frozen crystals falling from the sky and covering everything with a fresh coat of white.

I do not shy away from taking walks to look for birds when the snow is actively falling, in fact I thoroughly enjoy walks at such times. But I also enjoy very much watching the activity at the feeders during snow falls.

As long as the snow is not falling at too fast a rate, the birds will continue coming to feeders. Indeed, during light and moderate snow falls the birds may be seen at higher-than-usual …

Click here for the rest

 

When is nesting season over?

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Mourning Dove sits on a nest in early July at Sellecks/Dunlap Woods in Darien.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Mourning Dove sits on a nest in early July at Sellecks/Dunlap Woods in Darien.

Here’s my latest For the Birds column on when it’s safe to take down trees without disrupting nesting birds. (The above photo of a Mourning Dove sitting on eggs was taken in early July 2015.)

By CHRIS BOSAK
For the Birds

Procrastinators rejoice. I’m going to give you an excuse to put off a few chores for another month or so.

Do you have trees on your property that need to come down? Bushes that need to be pruned? Perhaps a field or meadow that needs to be mowed?

Well, I’m not only giving you permission (not that you need that anyway) to hold off for a while, but urging you to do so.

An interesting email came my way this week from a New Hampshire couple. They had purchased property about 25 years ago that at the time was an abandoned Christmas tree lot. Most of the trees are now dead or dying and need to come down. The couple, to their credit, wants to make sure the nesting season is over before they go forward with any of the work.

So, just when is it safe to take down trees or cut fields that may house nesting birds?

There’s no exact date, of course. In general, though,

Click here for the rest of the article …

Looking back at a Barn Swallow nest

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Photo by CHRIS BOSAK Young Barn Swallows look for food from their mother, which is returning to the nest with food.

Photo by CHRIS BOSAK
Young Barn Swallows look for food from their mother, which is returning to the nest with food.

Here’s a group of photos I took at a Barn Swallow nest, which was built on a light fixture in the covered portion of the parking lot where I work. The parents dive-bombed and swooped at all the people who parked nearby. They had only one brood before moving on. It’s a credit to the building owner that they let the nest remain throughout the entire process. This was a few summers ago, but I’ve never published all of these photos.

More photos below. Continue reading →

Bird Book Look II: Into the Nest

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Into the Nest cover

Into the Nest cover

Here is my second Bird Book Look post.

It is “Into the Nest” by Laura Erickson and Marie Read, published by Storey. As the subtitle states, the book shows and describes: “Intimate Views of the Courtship, Parenting, and Family Lives of Familiar Birds.”

I really like this book for its terrific photography and descriptive writing about birds in regards to their raising young. The photography offers incredible shots of nest building, parents feeding young, birds courting, and birds fledging. The accompanying text describes in great detail, but in easy to read fashion, all the behaviors regarding birds raising their young. The birds featured range from familiar backyard birds, not-as-often seen songbirds, birds of prey and shorebirds.

Bird Book Look is not intended to be reviews of books about birds, but rather just letting readers know what new bird books are out there. I can say, however, that I really enjoy this book, both Continue reading →

It’s nesting season all right

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Baltimore Oriole nest in Stamford, Conn., May 2015.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Baltimore Oriole nest in Stamford, Conn., May 2015.

I took a walk around a local park in Stamford, Conn., yesterday. I knew the warbler migration was winding down, but I figured I’d see a few late migrants and perhaps something else interesting. Something always happens when you make the effort to take a walk in the woods.

I was walking happily along looking up in the trees for movement. With the leaves out now, movement is the only way to spot most birds. I glanced down and suddenly found myself tip-toeing frantically to avoid bird droppings all over the trail. Not that it would have been a big deal if I stepped on one, but my brain recognize Continue reading →