Not yet, My wife and I (mostly me) are in the middle of a quest to see the rare California Condor. I’ve been told that one of the best places to look for condors is the Grand Canyon. But before going to the Canyon, we first took a detour to San Diego, since I also...

Looking for Condors, A few weeks ago I wrote a column about California Condors and how they are slowly coming back from the edge of extinction. I also mentioned that I was hoping to see one of these massive birds on an up-coming trip to the American West. Well, the...

Dear Bird Folks, I heard that a Greater White-fronted Goose was spotted at the old ball field in Provincetown. I drove up there, found the field and a flock of Canada Geese, but not the rare goose. Did I miss it? Is it still around? Any suggestions? – Aimee, Kingston,...

Dear Bird Folks, A number of years ago there was a big push to protect the California Condor, which was headed for extinction. I haven’t heard much about it lately. Were they able to save it? – Jerome, Plymouth, MA   Good timing, Jerome, In a few weeks my wife...

Dear Bird Folks, We like to watch the ducks in the local ponds, but due to the recent cold snap, all of those ponds are frozen solid. What has happened to our ducks? Where do they go? – Callie and Al, Eastham, CT.   Let me explain, Callie and Al, Before I get to...

Dear Bird Folks, A friend of mine sent me these photos from London, which I believe are of parakeets. The birds seem out of place, but London is a big polyglot city. Are they native? – George, Arlington, VA   Take it easy, George, Try to remember to whom you are...

  Dear Bird Folks, Our family has always celebrated the holidays with a real, freshly cut Christmas tree. Lately, however, I’ve been feeling guilty about cutting down trees that birds may need. So, I am now considering buying a reusable artificial tree. What do...

Choosing Binoculars: I wrote about this topic a few years ago, but judging from the continuous questions I receive on this subject, I need to do it again. Apparently, no one read what I wrote the first time. Either that or I didn’t do a good job of explaining things....

  Dear Birds Folks, I know the Cape has Turkey Vultures, but do we also have Black Vultures? If so, how can I tell which is which? – Allen, Orleans, MA   Swell timing, Allen, It’s early December and other columnists are recounting stories of holiday cheer...

A rare visitor: Yesterday afternoon I was at Barnstable’s Long Pasture Sanctuary watching a flock of Cedar Waxwings, when I received a text from Casey’s friend, Hannah. She and Casey had just seen a Yellow-throated Warbler. Yellow-throated Warblers are rare on Cape...

Dear Bird Folks, I recently came across an old column of yours. It was all about the different types of bird beaks. I found the diversity very interesting. This got me thinking about birds’ feet and if they are just as diverse. What can you tell me about bird feet? –...

Dear Bird Folks, I was driving on Rt. 28 in Chatham today when I noticed several cars pulled over. I thought people were taking photos of Pleasant Bay, but then I spotted a massive flock of birds in the water. So, I got out of the car and took a photo myself. Can you...

Dear Bird Folks, Please find the attached photo of a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher that is being seen in Truro. Were you able to get a chance to see it? – Janet, Plymouth, MA   It went like this, Janet, When it comes to tracking down rare birds, I’m a bit on the lazy...

A day at Dead Creek, I know it sounds like the title of an old John Wayne movie, but it’s actually the name of a wildlife refuge in northwestern Vermont. Visiting Dead Creek has been on my radar for years, but I couldn’t work it into my schedule. Then, last week, my...

Dear Bird Folks, Like you, I try to avoid eating meat. But I also use beef suet to attract woodpeckers, which isn’t very vegetarian-ish of me. Then today I found a recipe on National Audubon’s website. It had step-by-step instructions on how to make “vegetarian suet.”...

Dear Bird Folks, A friend showed me a video clip of a “tailorbird” building a nest and I was totally amazed. Have you ever heard of tailorbirds and do you know anything about them? – Rick, Groton, MA   Not until recently, Rick, Like you, I had never heard of...

Dear Bird Folks, Please take a look at this photograph and tell me what kind of bird it is. It’s been in my yard for the last few days. – Richard, Chatham, MA   OMG, Richard, That’s a Long-eared Owl. Where do you live? I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Before I...

Dear Bird Folks, While walking on Chatham’s Forest Beach today, I noticed these shorebirds. Would you mind looking at my photos and telling me what they are? - Louise, Chatham, MA   I love photos, Louise, I’ve mentioned this before, but the popularity of bird...

Dear Bird Folks, Why, after a baby Bald Eagle fledges, does it never return to its nest? And if by chance, he [or she] does come back, why do the parents reject him [or her] and treat him [or her] like an intruder? – Diane   A couple of things, Diane, Normally,...

Dear Bird Folks, Have you ever visited Cornell’s famous Sapsucker Woods in Ithaca, NY? If so, is it worth the long drive? – Rob, Marion, MA   Yes, I have, Rob, I have been to Sapsucker Woods, but that was over thirty years ago, so I don’t really feel qualified to...

Dear Bird Folks, Like many people, I have been watching the devastation created by the recent string of hurricanes. My heart goes out to the people impacted by these powerful storms, but a part of me also worries about the birds. If buildings can’t stand up to these...

Dear Bird Folks, I was eating lunch in my car today when a Mourning Dove landed on my roof. So, I rolled down the car window and tossed out a few seeds, which the dove quickly started eating. Next, I tipped my side mirror so I could watch it eat while I continued with...

Dear Bird Folks, My sister-in-law (from New York) sent us the attached photo of a bird that was taken in Central Park. Her husband thinks it's a starling, but my own husband disagrees. I tried to look it up in my bird book but found nothing that came close. Can you...

Dear Bird Folks, For the past few nights I have been hearing screech-owls calling in my yard. It’s too late in the year for owls to be breeding, right? So, why are they calling? I’ve been thinking about putting up an owl box, but they probably won’t use it until next...

Dear Bird Folks, Last week you wrote about orioles coming to feeders filled with grape jelly. We also put out jelly, except our feeder mostly attracts catbirds (which is fine with me). Recently, however, our jelly feeder has been deserted. At first I thought the...

Dear Bird Folks, We are currently enjoying the orioles that are coming to our friend’s feeder here on Cape Cod. If we put out an oriole feeder when we get home next week, do you think we will also attract them, or is it too late for this year? – Marsha, Albany, NY...

Dear Bird Folks, There is a nest of Green Herons in our backyard and today we noticed that all of the birds have suddenly disappeared. We’re wondering if something bad has happened to the chicks or have they simply gotten big enough to move out on their own? – Rich,...

Dear Bird Folks, There are two feral cats roving our neighborhood and today I’m sad to report that they’ve killed my nesting catbird. Is there anything I can do to protect my yard from these cats? – Donna, Orleans, MA   Yes, there is, Donna, There is something...

Dear Bird Folks, I took this photo of a little hummingbird that was sitting in a tree outside our window. The feeder is just below the bird, but he/she never goes to it. When another hummingbird comes by, this bird “squeaks” and flies toward it, but the begging bird...

Dear Bird Folks, There is a pair of hawks hanging around our backyard. We think they are Cooper’s Hawks. We also think they have nest just across the street from our house. Here are a couple of photos. What do you think? – Debbie, Eastham, MA   Yes, they are,...

Dear Bird Folks, I hate to disagree with the late Roger Tory Peterson, but his field guide tells me that grackles have yellow eyes. Today my wife and I saw three grackles on our feeder, and not one of them had yellow eyes. Do I need a new bird book? – Todd, Chatham,...

Dear Bird Folks, I just discovered we have a House Finch nest in one of my hanging plants and now I’m afraid to water it for fear I’ll hurt the eggs. Should I run out and buy a birdhouse for them, and if I do, will they use it? – Darlene, Falmouth, MA   Come on,...

  Dear Bird Folks, My Wellfleet friend, Jeffrey, just sent me this photograph of a bird looking out of his birdhouse. He thinks it’s a screech-owl, but I’m not so sure. I’m planning to go to his house later today, but I want to check with you first. What do you...

Dear Bird Folks, This might seem like an inappropriate question for the summer, but I’m wondering where the juncos have gone. Our yard was full of them in the winter, but now they seem to have disappeared. Are they totally gone from our area, or have they just left my...

  At last, Nova Scotia, Last week I wrote a column about birding in Nova Scotia. However, I spent so much time talking about the adventures along the way, namely in New Brunswick, I never got to the part about Nova Scotia. I promise this week will be all about...

A quick birding trip to Nova Scotia, Before I go into my annual summer retail hibernation, I’ve decided to take one last birding trip. I chose Nova Scotia because it’s in Canada, and 2017 is Canada’s 150th anniversary. In honor of the big celebration, all of their...

Dear Bird Folks, As with most people, we have been fighting an endless battle with the neighborhood squirrels. We can’t keep them out of our birdfeeder. My cousin suggested I try birdseed that has been laced with hot pepper. She says the birds don’t mind, but the...

Dear Bird Folks, My son was in the Wendy’s parking lot in Orleans a few days ago, feeding French fries to a small gull with a red beak.  Is that an unusual bird for this area? - Chuck, Truro, MA   Hold the phone, Chuck, Did I read your note correctly? Did you say...

Dear Bird Folks, Please watch the attached video. It shows a bird’s nest in a wreath on the front door of my friend Jessica’s aunt’s house, and the nest is filled with eggs. She found the nest on Mother’s Day. Pretty cute, eh? – Sandy, Wilmington, NC   It’s cute...

Dear Bird Folks, While hiking yesterday I found this tiny nest lying on the ground. It appears to have been blown down in our most recent rainstorm. My husband thinks it looks like a hummingbird’s nest, but I’m not convinced. What do you think? – Shawn, Truro, MA...

A visit to Summer Lake Wildlife Area,   My son and I are still in Oregon. (My wife wasn’t invited on this trip and isn’t very happy about it.) Today we visited a new (to me) birding location. The Summer Lake Wildlife Area, which is located in the south-central...

Bend, Oregon…again. A few years ago I wrote about a trip my wife and I took to central Oregon. We explored the area around the trendy city of Bend. My wife did some horseback riding (what is it with women and horses?), while I mostly searched for birds…of course. We...

  Dear Bird Folks, When I was small my favorite book was Make Way for Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey. On Easter morning I read it to my own kids. When I finished, my son asked if the story was true, to which I said, “Yes.” But the truth is, I have no idea if the...

Dear Bird Folks, For the first time in my life we have bluebirds coming to the feeders in our yard and I’d like to get them to stay. Any suggestions? – Martha, Willington, CT   I’m confused, Martha, When you called today you seemed to know me, but over the phone...

Dear Bird Folks, I just came back from Fort Hill (in Eastham), where I think I saw a meadowlark. However, when I checked my bird book (Peterson Guide) for verification, meadowlarks weren’t in it. The only larks listed in the index were Horned Larks. How could the...

Dear Bird Folks, I’ve just finished watching a show on the National Geographic station called Blitzkrieg Sharks, and I think you might be interested in it. The show focuses on tiger sharks and their habit of eating, of all things, songbirds. Have you seen it? – Matt,...

Dear Bird Folks, I just came back from a birding trip to New Mexico. A refuge ranger recognized my accent and started talking to me about the Northeast’s recent cold weather and the local sports teams. Then he said something about our pending introduction of...

Long-eared Owls: The readers who managed to survive last week’s storms may remember that my previous column was about an adventure I had finding a Long-eared Owl in Chatham. As usual, I rambled on so much that I wasn’t able to discuss the owl itself. So, this week I...

Dear Bird Folks, Back in late February, when we had that record-setting warm spell, I saw birds checking out one of my birdhouses. I’m pretty sure I didn’t clean out that particular box last fall. Is it too late to do it now? – Leon, Avon, MA   Come on, Leon,...

Dear Bird Folks, After a fairly quiet winter, my feeders have suddenly become loaded with birds. In addition, we are getting huge flocks of robins. Where did they all come from and why did they seem to appear at once? – Steven, Sandwich, MA   No kidding, Steven,...