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Backyard Birds: Birdwatching at Home | The Old Farmer's Almanac

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Blog: Your Backyard Birds: What Birds Have You Seen?

Photo Credit
Cinderella Morff
Catherine Boeckmann
April 10, 2015
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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 as well as best plants to attract hummingbirds.)

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.

If you wonder which bird is singing a song, click here for our Birds Sounds

What birds have you seen or heard in your backyard? Please share below! Just type in the box and “submit comment.”

 

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Comments

Kathy (not verified)

6 years 11 months ago

Goldfinches, House Finches, Doves, Fly Catchers, Hummingbirds. Hawks and Ravens too. here in Logandale, in Southern NV.

Terry Waxham (not verified)

6 years 11 months ago

We are greeted each morning by one of our Pileated Woodpeckers and yesterday (Easter Day) we saw our first Ruby Throat Hummers splashing in one of our fountains.Our Cardinal population numbers well over 150 and they are well fed with sunflower seeds and small pieces of nuts.Our home is back in the woods and we are so blessed with our birds of all varieties. Our hummer population has grown from the first year of around 10 to well over 100 now and they will soon be here in full force.Warm days are not too far ahead and excitement is growing

Diane 62 (not verified)

7 years 11 months ago

I am wondering if there is a time line by area for the country you live in for when which birds show up somewhere. I saw 3 morning doves the other day and this morning 2 Golden Finches this morning and the wind has been cold here the last few days. We have had an early Spring otherwise here in Central MN. Should I be putting out my Hummingbird and Oriel feeders yet or is it to early?

ihave a hummingbird feeder out and have a hummingbird coming to it. I live in NJ

Hi Diane, Here's a bird migration timetable by state which you might find interesting: http://www.birdnature.com/timetable.html 
And here's another great page on migration forecasts: 
http://birdcast.info/forecasts/

Anita L. Jackson (not verified)

8 years 11 months ago

Good afternoon from Columbia, Alabama. I have my sewing machines set up so I can see out the windows on my front porch, where I have 3 bird feeders and 2 Hummingbird feeders. I love my Hummers and in about an hour there will close to 20 here, but off and on thru out the day. I looked up and saw 5 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks on top of the one feeder. It was beautiful. I have several male Indigo Buntings here just about all the time, with the regular, cardinals, nuthatches, finches, but have never seen the Grosbeaks here before. Are they just moving thru or will they stay?
Thank you, enjoy Nature to the fullest

I had never seen a rose-breasted grosbeak until last week here in Katy, TX. They are migrating. He stayed for about 3 days. Last week was also the first time I saw an indigo bunting and red-winged blackbird. The regulars are northern cardinals, mourning doves, sparrows, and bluejays.

kathyr54 (not verified)

9 years 5 months ago

My husband and I are trying to figure out what this bird is I don't have a picture but it is a reddish brown bird with a long tail and it hops and bobs his beak in the ground we thought it was a
type of thrush but cannot find any information on it