Dear Bird Folks, I think there’s a Yellow-breasted Chat coming to the bird feeder in my yard. You are welcome to come by and check it out if you’d like. – Dave, Eastham, MA   I’ll be right there, Dave, Last fall I was tipped off to the presence of a rare Wood...

Easy Winter Birding in Provincetown: I’m not alone when I say that Provincetown is one of my favorite places to visit. The town has history, character and characters…especially characters. But unlike most of the world, my preferred time of year to visit Provincetown...

Dear Bird Folks, I understand that some of the robins we see around here in the winter have actually migrated down from Canada. Is there a way to identify the Canadian robins from our summer robins? – Robert, Bourne, MA   Not me, Robert,   The stereotypical...

Happy Belated National Bird Week…sort of: A few weeks ago, my wife asked me if I knew that yesterday (Jan. 5th) was National Bird Day. I was a bit embarrassed to admit that I had never even heard of this amazing-sounding holiday. How is it celebrated, I asked? Is...

Dear Birds Folks, I heard you on the radio the other day and I think you were discussing the reasons why geese fly in V-shaped flocks. Unfortunately, I couldn’t quite understand what you were saying. Would you mind explaining it again in print? – Todd, Provincetown,...

Advice for using new binoculars: As a guy who has been using binoculars every day since the last Ice Age, I sometimes forget that the rest of society isn’t always as familiar with them. I’ve seen people look through the wrong end (really), or try to turn and twist...

Dear Bird Folks, Could you please identify the duck in this photo? It arrived on a local pond in early December and it (we call it “Oscar”) has been here ever since.  We have consulted our bird books but have not been able to come up with an answer. – Rena, Falmouth,...

My New Year’s resolution: I usually start the year with a list of new birds I hope to see. Completing the list is my motivation to get out more often and to stop sleeping so late. So far, I have been lucky enough to find every bird on my annual list, except for one,...

Dear Bird Folks, I live near the big rotary in Orleans. At least once a day a noisy flock of Canada Geese flies just above my house. Often, a larger flock of ducks will also fly over, but the ducks are too high to be identified. Any idea what kind of ducks they are? –...

Dear Bird Folks, My husband and I have recently moved to the Cape and are slowly getting into bird watching. Is there a bird club specific to Cape Cod that we can join or should we become members of the Massachusetts Audubon Society instead? – Alex, Yarmouth, MA...

Oops! My bad, Helping people identify birds is something I do on a daily basis. Sometimes figuring out a mystery bird is easy, while other times things don’t go as well. Most often the clues are the problem. People tend to under or overestimate a bird’s size, or they...

Dear Bird Folks, Last Thanksgiving you wrote a column about the Cape’s lesser-known nature trails. It was a nice way for some of us to get out of the house, while at the same time avoiding the crazy shopping areas. I’m wondering if you have any new suggestions for...

Looking for a new woodpecker, One of the requirements of being in the retail business is that I must make regular visits to distant trade shows. These shows typically consist of aisles of tacky gift items and lots of weaselly salespeople trying to convince me to buy...

Dear Bird Folks, Please take a look at the Mourning Dove in this photo. Notice that it doesn’t have a tail. Any idea what happened? Without its tail the dove looks a little strange, like a feathered ocarina. Can the bird survive like that? – Paula, Sandwich, MA  ...

Dear Bird Folks, What do you think is the most abundant bird in the world? I’m talking about wild birds and not domestic birds, like chickens. I know we have a lot of those. – Jim, Boston, MA   Oh, Jim, you spoiled my opening. When people ask me this question, I...

Dear Bird Folks, I’ve been catching up on some of your past columns, including one about Limpkins, which I enjoyed. The name “Limpkin” strikes me as both funny and odd. With that in mind, what bird do you think has the oddest name? – Adam, Westport, MA   Thank...

Dear Bird Folks, The news about the avian population decline (three billion fewer birds) is really distressing. While I’m fully aware that any impactful remediation needs to happen at the governmental level, is there anything meaningful that individuals can do? –...

Dear Bird Folks, A male and female Indigo Bunting have just landed on my feeder. Is there a particular food I should give them? Will they be around all summer? – Amy, Orleans, MA   You win, Amy, As I was finishing up this week’s column, I started getting calls,...

Dear Bird Folks, I’ve really enjoyed the catbirds in my yard this summer, but I understand they migrate in the fall. When do they leave and where do they go? – Don, Fitchburg, MA   Soon, Don, Your catbirds will be leaving soon and they will be the last of my...

Tidmarsh is back! I’m sure that statement doesn’t make much sense to most folks reading this, but believe me, this is good news…very good news. Last week, I was catching up on some reading when I noticed an article by Lisa Schibley in the June issue of Bird Observer....

  Dear Bird Folks, Have you seen the new movie, The Goldfinch? A reviewer in one of our newspapers apparently didn’t like it, as he said it was “for the birds.” This got me wondering, where did that expression come from? Why is something that is bad considered to...

Dear Bird Folks, For most of the summer I’ve had three hummingbirds battling over my feeder, but I haven’t seen them for a few days. Do you think my hummingbirds have left and if so, should I take the feeder down? – Glenn, Halifax, MA   Yes and not necessarily,...

An update on Wellfleet’s Purple Martin colony: In May of 2018, I wrote a column about a martin colony in Wellfleet. For those folks who don’t recall my column of May 2018, or remember any part of 2018, here’s a quick recap. For the last decade or so, Mashpee’s Mary...

Whimbrels in Wellfleet, When most beachgoers think of shorebirds, they probably picture the cutesy sandpipers they see playing tag with the waves. Those birds are actually called “Sanderlings,” but “cutesy sandpipers” works, too. Throughout the year, Cape Cod is...

Dear Bird Folks, Occasionally, while I’m out walking, I’ll pick up a bird feather and wonder what bird it came from. Any suggestions on how I can identify the feather without making the long drive to Cape Cod and showing it to you? – Eric, Norton, MA   Take a...

Dear Birds Folks, I thought ducks only ate bread, corn, etc. Then today I came upon a tidal pool where several mallards were gorging themselves on tiny fish trapped in the shallow water. Which do they prefer, bread or fish? – Sid, Orleans, MA   Both, Sid,...

(FYI: This column was written back in 2008. Things have changed since then. See the “The Eagles Have Landed, May 5, 2023, for a more recent eagle column.)   Dear Bird Folks, Back in April, it was announced that a pair of Bald Eagles had built a nest near the...

Dear Bird Folks, I know Ospreys are fish eaters, but I would like to know about their fishing skills. What makes them so good at catching fish? – Carlos, Needham, MA   It’s simple, Carlos, The key to the Osprey’s fishing success is to get up early, use fresh...

Dear Bird Folks, We’ve had Chipping Sparrows in our yard all summer. Why haven’t you ever written anything about them? – Brian, Falmouth, MA   Here’s why, Brian, I haven’t written about Chipping Sparrows because no one has asked about them, that’s why. Gee, that...

Dear Bird Folks, Could you please tell me what bird this is? See attached photo.) It looks a bit like a sparrow, but it’s way bigger than the other sparrows on my feeder. – Sarah, Marion, MA   It’s a Red-winged Blackbird, Sarah, I would love to tell you that your...

Dear Bird Folks, Is there a good place to see Bank Swallow nests on Cape Cod? – Julian, Brewster, MA   Yes, there is, Julian, Cape Cod has lots of good places to see nesting Bank Swallows, but there are a few things to keep in mind. To start with, by the time you...

Dear Bird Folks, Is there a house for Carolina Wrens? – Jay, Dennis, MA   It’s tricky, Jay, Unlike House Wrens, Carolina Wrens typically don’t use traditional birdhouses. For some reason, those customary round entrance holes don’t appeal to them. But a few years...

Straight outta Little Compton: This might sound like heresy, but summer isn’t my favorite time on Cape Cod. Traffic aside, my biggest complaint is that I actually have to show up at work more often, which leaves less time for watching birds. So, before going into...

Dear Bird Folks, For well over a month I’ve had a pair of Tree Swallows in one of my birdhouses. Oddly, the birds don’t do anything except sit and look out of the entrance hole all day. Do you think they actually have a nest or are they simply using my birdhouse for a...

West Dennis Beach isn’t just for Snowy Owls: Last week, my wife, for reasons that still aren’t clear, asked me if I had any photos of Piping Plovers. I didn’t have any and wasn’t even sure of the best (easiest) place to take photos of these little, but sometimes...

Dear Bird Folks, I stopped at the Truro hawk watch last week and was surprised to learn that in addition to hawks, they also count migrating Blue Jays. According to Don, the head hawk watch guy, he had counted over 150 passing Blue Jays on that very day. Blue Jays? Do...

Owl nest update: Way back in mid-April, I reported on the likelihood of screech-owls nesting in one of my boxes. Circumstantial evidence supported this possibility, but concrete proof was hard to come by. After all, this wasn’t like watching a cardinal family in the...

  Dear Bird Folks, Last week on the Talkin’ Birds radio show you mentioned a device that helps people hear bird songs. Unfortunately, I didn’t catch the name of the device. Could you please tell me more about this item and would you recommend it? – Mike,...

Dear Bird Folks, For the last few weeks there has been a pair of Red-tailed Hawks calling and circling above my yard. Could they be after the birds on my feeder? – Ellie, Sandwich, MA   Probably not, Ellie, There are several species of hawks that can be a problem...

Baby screech-owls…maybe. Owls have become popular recently and as a result, we have been selling lots of owl nest boxes. I like that, but since owls are active after dark, it’s hard to know if these boxes are actually being used. With that in mind, here’s what is...

Dear Bird Folks, Can you please tell me what this bird is (see attached photo)? It was walking across my driveway this morning and I have never seen it before. It looks a bit like a female pheasant. What do you think? – Olivia, Marstons Mills, MA   I’m jealous,...

Visiting Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge: Even though it’s early spring, many of the Cape’s best birding spots are still pretty quiet. I had been trying to think of an off-Cape birding area to explore, when I overheard customers chatting about Rhode Island’s...

Dear Bird Folks, I read in a recent post that Cave Swallows are breeding on Cape Cod. As far as I know, Cave Swallows generally breed in Texas. What brings them this far north? – Josh, Kingston, MA   They’re a nice addition, Josh, If you enjoy swallows, the Cape...

Dear Bird Folks, I recently received a letter in the mail warning me about neonicotinoid pesticides. It claims a single kernel of corn coated with neonicotinoid can kill a songbird. Is this true? Should I buy organic birdseed instead? Does that even exist? I enjoy...

Dear Bird Folks, I understand birds have territorial conflicts in the spring, but the turkeys in my yard have been squabbling since the fall. I enjoy seeing them, but why so much aggression in the non-breeding season? – Marilyn, Orleans, MA   Good for you,...

  Dear Bird Folks, Please take a look at the photo on my iPhone. It’s an image of a weird bird that has been coming to our backyard. Any idea what it is? – Steve, Northern NJ   I know that iPhone, Steve, A year or two ago you brought in the same iPhone and...

Dear Bird Folks, Now that the nice weather has arrived and I can finally get out of the house, I’m wondering about my birdhouses. I never inspected them in the fall. Should I clean them out now? – Sarah, Yarmouth Port, MA   No, Sarah, Do not clean out your...

Dear Bird Folks, Last summer a beautiful pair of swans hung out in the pond in front of our house. But when the cold weather moved in, they moved out. Where did they go? I know you don’t like swans, but we miss them. – Jay, Attleboro, MA   This is a tricky one,...

Dear Bird Folks, After our most recent cold blast, I started wondering why some birds head south in the winter, while others stay back and face the brutal cold. Why don’t they all just leave until things warm up? That’s what I wish I did. – Jimmy, Hartford, CT  ...

Dear Bird Folks, I heard that a Tufted Duck is being seen on Long Pond in Harwich. I would like to see this rare species, but Long Pond is pretty big and I’m not sure where to look. Any suggestions? – Chris, Sandwich, MA   It sure is, Chris, Long Pond sure is...