What birds can you expect to see in a Maryland backyard? While every property is different with its own mix of birds, many are pretty typical. These are the Maryland backyard birds commonly seen in our central Maryland yard.
Estimated reading time: 26 minutes
Continue reading Maryland Backyard Birds
Dark-Eyed Juncos, the “snow birds,” show up in our yard every fall and spend the winter with us. They are always a busy addition to the yard, eating seed I offer them and flying across the yard, flashing their black and white tail feathers. It always makes me smile when they arrive.
Continue reading The Dark-Eyed Juncos Head North
When I was a kid, we called Dark-Eyed Juncos “snow birds.” Until I started bird watching later in life, I thought that was their actual name. To us, seeing a snow bird was a sign. It meant that it was going to snow, leading to snowmen, snow forts, saucering down the side hill and a day off of school. I suspect this childhood joy may still be a bit of the reason that I still love these little birds today. Even today, when I know that birds don’t cause the weather, I still feel joy when I see the first of the juncos and their winter pals, the White-Throated Sparrows arrive in mid-fall. Here is what I do in my yard to make sparrows welcome during the winter.
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
Continue reading Attracting White-Throats, Juncos & Other Sparrows