At breakfast, I sit near my backyard window and listen to birds' sweet songs in the morning light.
Did you know that birds are one of the best cues to the length of a day? The changing daylight has a hormonal trigger in birds, and starts them whistling.
Our wooded backyard draws all kinds of birds; my favorites are the tiny jeweled hummingbirds who are attracted by our bee balm and other plants. (On the gardening page, you can find our guide on best shrubs and trees for birds [3] as well as best plants to attract hummingbirds [4].)
I also love the loons who come to breed and nest on our lake. In fact, the land jutting out next to our cove is called "Loon's Point." The loons have an eerie, haunting call that echoes across the water.
What birds have you seen or heard in your backyard? Please share below! Just type in the box and "submit comment."
(If you have bird photographs, share them on Almanac's free nature e-card gallery [5]!)
Catherine, our New Media Editor, joined The Old Farmer's Almanac in 2008. She edits content on both this Web site, Almanac.com, and the companion site to The Old Farmer's Almanac for Kids publication, Almanac4kids.com. She also manages social media content for Facebook and Twitter. When she's not online, she's with her husband and child enjoying the outdoors life in New Hampshire.
- Backyard Birds [7]
- Blogs [8]