by Alexandra Forsythe “You Yellow-bellied Sapsucker!” Compliment or insult? Yosemite Sam used the term “Yellow-bellied Sapsucker” to describe Bugs Bunny, and judging from the results of my research, that was a big insult! The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was once thought to be a blight and an enemy of humans. I...
by Alexandra Forsythe The Pied-billed Grebe: a small, chunky waterfowl that behaves like an alligator and has almost as many feathers inside its body as outside! Behaving like an alligator and dining on its own feathers are both means of protection. When startled, the Grebe often submerges, leaving only...
by Alexandra Forsythe As I write this, it is 17 degrees Fahrenheit outside. The eggs that my chickens and ducks laid in their heated coops are near the freezing point. Can you imagine a songbird trying to incubate an egg in such frigid temperatures? Imagine no more! Meet the...
by Alexandra Forsythe Ask any group of people to list their favorite feeder birds and you’re sure to hear “Northern Cardinal” from most of them. People love this iconic bird with its regal crest and brilliant red plumage, and most people can identify them easily, particularly in the Midwest....
by Alexandra Forsythe The tiny and adorable Winter Wren looks like a tiny brown ball of fluff with a very short tail that usually sticks straight up in the air. It is probably best known for what naturalist John Burroughs described as its “vibrating tongue of silver”. Its beautifully...
by Alexandra Forsythe The month of October brings to mind beautiful autumn leaves, bountiful harvests and plump pumpkins. For me, October also signals the return of my spark bird: the Northern Saw-whet Owl. Just a few years ago, when I first became interested in birds, Fred Wooley, chief naturalist...
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