Dear Bird Folks, I’ve been feeding birds in my yard for years, but my neighbor thinks it’s a bad idea. Is she right? – Gwen, Sutton, MA   Not this again, Gwen, In 2003, a mere 16 years ago, I wrote a column on this very topic. Only back then the voice of...

Dear Bird Folks, Why are parrots often given the name, “Polly,” and why is Polly always asking for a cracker? – Melanie, Boston, MA   IDK, Melanie, I don’t know the answer to either of those questions, but the Polly/cracker thing really annoys me. Here at work we...

Dear Bird Folks, After reading your recent column about finding one new bird for the year, I decided my goal bird for 2019 will be the Northern Shrike. I’ve always wanted to see one of these unusual birds. Any suggestions for how I might find one? – Eric, Centerville,...

Note: Because of the recent government shut down, I wasn’t allowed to write a new birding column this week. It’s due to a law that is so obscure I’m the only one who knows it exists. As a result, I’m dusting off a column I wrote several years ago. Although, I don’t...

Dear Bird Folks, I was driving on Nauset Beach the other day when I came upon a Snowy Owl. Can you tell from my photo if this particular owl is a male or a female? Also, do you think we’ll see as many owls this year as we did a few years ago? – Doug, Harwich, MA...

Dear Bird Folks, For the past month, I’ve been dropping hints about wanting a heated birdbath for Christmas. Apparently, I’m not very good at hinting. On Christmas morning I ended up with a lot of thoughtful gifts, but alas, no heated birdbath. Now I have to go out...

Dear Bird Folks, I’m hoping to buy a gift for my grandchildren. I’d like to get them something that would spark an interest in birds. Do you have any suggestions? – Warren, Kingston, RI   Of course, I do, Warren, I’m a retailer. Asking a retailer if he or she has...

Dear Bird Folks, We are on Cape Cod for the weekend and plan to do a little bird watching. Specifically, we would like to see some Razorbills. Any suggestions? - A couple from Bangor, ME   Glad you asked, “A Couple,” Before we begin, I need to explain this...

Dear Bird Folks, I’m wondering if you could write a column about the Tufted Titmouse. It’s one of my favorite birds, yet I think it’s often ignored and under appreciated. – Pat, Sandwich, MA   You bet I will, Pat, It’s the holiday season, so if I’m ever going to...

At trip down Rt. 6A, The long Thanksgiving weekend presents a problem for some people. They don’t like being trapped at the house with their relatives, but they also want to avoid the mayhem in the big shopping centers. A walk in the Cape Cod air might be just what...

Dear Bird Folks, I’m a student at UMass Amherst, and just read about a Mandarin Duck that was being seen in New York’s Central Park. The rare bird is attracting crowds of people and lots of media attention. Since I have a break coming up, I’m wondering if you think it...

Dear Bird Folks, I photographed this large flock (see photo) of Buffleheads swimming in Eastham’s Herring Pond last week. I would like to know why the flock is entirely made up of females. Do Buffleheads only travel in same-sex flocks? – Erik, Eastham, MA   First...

Dear Bird Folks, I think I have a pair of Evening Grosbeaks eating seeds from my bird feeders. Is that possible? Is it a big deal? – Will, Eastham, MA   Yes, it’s possible, Will, And yes, it’s a big deal. I’ll be right over… I arrived at Will’s house so quickly,...

Fall Foliage (and birds) Tour, Unlike me, my wife is retired. As a result, she always wants to “go someplace.” She forgets that my schedule isn’t nearly as wide open. But I agreed to take a few days off and go wherever she had in mind. She suggested we drive up to...

Dear Bird Folks, You have often suggested that sunflower is the best seed to use in our bird feeders. But don’t the birds get bored with the same diet, day in and day out? Is there another food I could put out for the birds, just to spice things up? – Jacob, Rutland,...

What are you looking at? – Chris, Harwich, MA   I don’t want any trouble, Chris, “What are you looking at?” is usually a line heard in a movie, just before a barroom brawl breaks out. But in this case, it was a friendly inquiry from Chris, whom I recently met in...

Dear Bird Folks, We discovered a small flock of Common Swifts flying just before dusk. We love to watch them, but we don’t see them during the day. We are curious to know why the swifts only fly at dusk. – Somnath, Kolkata, India   Hold on, Somnath, Did you say...

Dear Bird Folks, This past weekend I went for a walk in a nearby community garden, where I came upon this bird (see photo). It looks like a large sparrow, but I can’t find it in my old book. Any idea? – John, Canaan, CT   No problem, John, Even without looking at...

Dear Bird Folks, Could you please listen to a recording I made on my iPhone and tell me what kind of bird this is? The monotonous call sometimes lasts for five minutes without a break, but I can never find the bird. – Terence, Rhinebeck, NY   Gotta love...

September morning in Chatham: In early August, a lady from out of town asked me where she might see some shorebirds. I told her to try Morris Island in Chatham. A few days later the same lady returned saying that she had taken my advice, drove to Morris Island and...

Dear Bird Folks, I’m a new bird watcher who is particularly interested in woodpeckers. Right now my biggest challenge is trying to identify a Downy Woodpecker from a Hairy Woodpecker. I’m not sure which one we have in our yard. Could we have both? – Ethan, fifth...

Dear Bird Folks, I know birds have good vision and good hearing, but what about smell? Can hummingbirds smell sugar-water feeders? Can cardinals and chickadees smell a sunflower feeder from afar? – K, North Eastham, MA Oh, K, I’ll answer your questions, but what is...

Dear Bird Folks, It's mid-August and the goldfinches are still collecting dog hair and cotton fibers from the fluff dispenser in my yard. I enjoy watching them, but why are they coming so late in the season? Does this mean they are working on a new brood? My...

Dear Bird Folks, Much has been written on how birds have adapted to winter’s frigid weather; but what about summer? Has anyone studied how birds are able to cope with these recent heatwaves? – Jack, Boston, MA   They have, Jack, I don’t think there is a single...

Dear Bird Folks, This little bird in the attached photo hit my slider window this morning. Can you tell me what kind of bird it is? Also, how can I prevent it from happening again? – Tony, Falmouth, MA   It’s a catbird, Tony, The bird in your photo is a Gray...

Dear Bird Folks, Years ago I purchased a specialty, “Preserve the Trust” license plate for my car. The plate depicts a large whale’s tail next to “RW,” in bold letters. I was told RW stands for “Right Whale” and that the money for the plate goes to conservation. Good....

Great Crested Flycatchers, finale: For the past few weeks I have been writing about a nest box filled with baby flycatchers. The box also has a video camera in it, which allows us to watch the birds both day and night. I’m sorry for dragging this topic out for so...

Great Crested Flycatchers, continued: Last week I wrote about a pair of flycatchers that were nesting in one of my birdhouses. What makes this nest so special is that it’s wired for sight and sound. I had placed a tiny video camera in the box and this June a family...

What goes on inside a birdhouse: I’d bet most folks reading this column have at least one birdhouse in their yard, and maybe two. Sometimes birds will use our boxes and sometimes they won’t. Don’t ask me why. But even when they do use them, there isn’t a lot of action...

Dear Bird Folks, When I was a kid I remember reading The Ugly Duckling, a story about a baby swan that doesn’t look like its much cuter siblings. I’ve never seen any baby swans. Are they really ugly? – Linda, Falmouth, MA   Swell, Linda, I realize that The Ugly...

  Dear Bird Folks, It’s been written that Benjamin Franklin wasn’t excited about the Bald Eagle being our national bird. Do you agree with Franklin? What are your thoughts on this? – Ray, Chatham, MA   I messed up the calendar, Ray, I received your question...

A trip to Iceland…not: This was supposed to be a series of columns about my birding trip to Iceland. However, our plans fell through and we ended up going to the next best place…the Connecticut Lakes, which, as it turns out, aren’t even in Connecticut. (Thank goodness...

Dear Bird Folks, In some of your recent columns you have told people where they can see certain birds, including loons and Purple Martins. What about rails? Do we ever get rails around here and if so, where can I see them? – Tom, Brewster, MA   Yes, we do, and...

Dear Bird Folks, Today I saw four hawks hunting together, all circling above a small area in East Orleans. My husband told me I was crazy. He said hawks hunt alone. Do hawks hunt in groups, or am I seeing things? – Donna, Orleans, MA   No, yes and don’t get me...

Dear Bird Folks, I grew up in the Midwest, where each spring we would welcome the Purple Martins back. Then I moved to Cape Cod and haven’t seen a martin since. Are there any Purple Martins on the Cape or have I simply moved out of their range? – Molly, Sandwich, MA...

Skinner State Park and the hunt for Cerulean Warblers: Cape Cod is a great place for bird watching. In fact, there are more species of birds seen in tiny Barnstable County than in the entire State of Montana (our fourth-largest state). Really. But even with all of our...

  Dear Bird Folks, I’m wondering if you could explain a strange bird behavior I witnessed today. Two flickers were in my backyard and at first they were just staring at each other. Then they both began swaying back and forth, as if they were dancing. Was this a...

Dear Bird Folks, A friend of mine said she may take down her birdfeeders because she is worried about attracting rats. I could never do that because I would miss my birds too much. Do you have any tips on feeding birds, while also avoiding rats? – Nicky, Harwich Port,...

Dear Bird Folks, I’ve just returned from a Florida vacation, where I spent most of my time being entertained by the pelicans. Is the pelican Florida’s state bird? If it isn’t, it should be. – Joan, New Bedford, MA   No and no, Joan, Florida has two species of...

Dear Bird Folks, We have several birdfeeders in our yard and now we are thinking about putting up some birdhouses. When should we do that and where should we place them? – Ellie, W. Yarmouth, MA   Today, Ellie, Put those birdhouses out today. Or, if you have a...

Dear Bird Folks, A friend of mine is visiting from out of town and wants to do some local birding. In particular, she wants to see a loon. Is there a good place on Cape Cod to see loons or should we drive up to Maine? – Linda, Brewster, MA   Not Maine, Linda,...

Dear Bird Folks, When we are walking on West Dennis Beach, looking for Snowy Owls, we also like to watch the gulls. We find them to be interesting and more attractive than most people realize. Recently, many of them seem to be traveling in pairs. I assume this is all...

Dear Bird Folks, I recently saw a poster advertising a brand new ferry service. The ferry will transport birders to new offshore birding sites. It didn’t explain the location of these sites, only that they would be “available soon.” It sounds kind of exciting, but I’d...

Dear Bird Folks, A friend of mine was on the Cape last week and found this dead bird on the beach (see photo). Any idea what it is? Also, what do you think happened to it? – Bob, Shrewsbury, MA   Good timing, Bob, The dead bird in your friend’s photo is a...

Dear Bird Folks, You often tell us that sunflower seed is the best food for all birds. That seems fine for the larger birds, but what about the little birds. Don’t they need smaller seeds? – Paula, Plymouth, MA   No, they don’t, Paula, The “small seed = small...

Dear Bird Folks, My favorite birds are cardinals, but you are always making fun of them. Why don’t you like cardinals? – Maureen, Mashpee, MA   That’s not true, Maureen, Well, maybe part of what you said is true. I do make fun of cardinals, but it doesn’t mean I...

Dear Bird Folks, I went out for an early morning walk today and heard lots of birds singing. I’ve always thought the “dawn chorus” took place in May, when birds are singing to attract mates. Are birds being fooled by the unusually warm February weather, or am I the...

Dear Bird Folks, Whenever I visit my aunt, I like to sit with her and watch the birds on her feeder. It makes for a pleasant morning. This got me wondering: Other than being fun to look at, do birds really have any other purpose? – Burt, Falmouth, MA   Of course...

The Amur Falcon, I’d bet few people reading this have ever heard of an Amur Falcon, and until last night I hadn’t heard of it either. I was going through my mail, sorting the bills and traffic citations from the letters saying, “ You may have already won,” when I...

One more, This will be the last and final installment of a birding trip to the American Southwest. It’s a trip in which I (and my wife, too) will hopefully find a California Condor. And I swear I will get to the condor part of this expedition soon, but first I have to...