​Chances are, especially if you have bird feeders, you’ve heard mention of the Pine Siskin lately.  Wildlife agencies and experts have recommended removing bird feeders temporarily to help combat a salmonella outbreak—primarily affecting pine siskins.  So who are these birds?
 
One of the finches, this small, 4- to 5-inch-long songbird is streaky brown with small yellow patches along the wings and tail and a forked tail.  Their bills are sharp and pointed, although more slender than most finches.  
 
As their name suggests, the preferred habitat of the pine siskin is evergreen forests or mixed evergreen and deciduous forest with open canopies.  Their breeding range stretches across the conifer forests of Canada and into southeastern Alaska, where they usually lay 3-4 pale greenish blue eggs sprinkled with brown or black dots.  These eggs hatch after about 13 days, and in another 14 days the young have left the nest. 
 
Once nesting season is over, Pine Siskins often migrate south in flocks to search for food, especially in years when the northern seed crop is scarce (known as an “irruption year”).  They mostly feed on seed and other vegetable matter, with the occasional insect snack thrown in as well.  This behavior makes our bird feeders a popular stop….and is what is causing concern for the health of the pine siskin flocks, as well as our other songbirds.
 
Pine siskins are both particularly susceptible to salmonella and carriers of the disease.  This, combined with one of the largest irruption years in recorded history, means that we are seeing an outbreak of the disease.  N fac normal conditions, migrating seed-eaters will arrive in an area, eat up the available resources, and then move onto another area.  Our steadily refilling feeders, however, thwart this natural behavior and allow flocks to stay in an area over longer periods of time.  This congregating behavior causes the disease to spread throughout pine siskin flocks as well as to other visitors to the feeders. 
 
Infected birds will appear fluffed or ruffled, thin, depressed, have swollen eyelids, lethargic, and easy to approach.  Experts are recommending removing feeders and birdbaths for 3-4 weeks to allow flocks to naturally disperse.  Feeders and birdbaths should be thoroughly cleaned before replacement (as well as part of regular on-going maintenance) with either soap and water or a dilute bleach solution.  If you suspect a case of salmonellosis, report it to the NC Wildlife Resource Commission’s Wildlife Helpline at 1-866-318-2401.
 
Pine Siskin preferred habitat:                                          Pine Siskin at feeder:

Video: Amanda Cargile

Letter for a “Young Birder”
​
Christopher Baldwin
Master Naturalist
704-650-8833

ChrisBaldwin8@Me.com

Hi “Young Birder”:

My name is Christopher Baldwin. I am also someone who enjoys bird watching very, very much!!!
I am so happy that you have become a “young birder”!!! A “birder” is someone who enjoys “bird watching”!!!
Aren’t birds just fantastic creatures!!! They come in many different colors, different sizes, different shapes and almost all of them fly!!!
There are over 250 billion birds in the world. That is a very, very big number!!! It compares with only 5 billion people in the world. This means that for every person in the world, there are 50 birds!!! Yes there are many, many more birds in the world than there are people!!!
But most of the birds in the world are “similar” to each other. If you just looked at the number of DIFFERENT birds in the world, well that is a lot smaller number. There are 10,000 DIFFERENT TYPES OF BIRDS IN THE WORLD. The word that birders use for this is: “There are 10,000 different “SPECIES” of birds in the world”. Believe it or not, 1,000 of these 10,000 different “species” are found in the United States. That means that if you traveled all over the United States and got lucky, you might see 1,000 DIFFERENT BIRDS!!! Wouldn’t that be just amazing!!

Your Backyard Birds
So what birds do you have in your backyard? Have you looked? In my backyard, I have seen 19 different “species”. They all are quite interesting!!! My 19 different “backyard birds” are:

Northern Cardinal
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Northern Mockingbird - A Mimic!!!
Brown Thrasher - A Mimic!!!
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Carolina Chickadee - A Namesayer!!!
Rufous Sided or Eastern Towhee - A Namesayer!!!
Mourning Dove
Gray Catbird - A Mimic!!!
Carolina Wren
White Breasted Nuthatch
American Robin
Downy Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-shouldered Hawk
Barred Owl
Great Horned Owl

In the list above, sometimes I use the word “mimic” and sometimes I use the word “namesayer”!!!

A “mimic” is a bird where when it calls, it’s call is the call of ANOTHER BIRD or maybe a fire engine or whatever. Once I was in the middle of a large park in New York City and I heard an ambulance. Well I soon discovered it was a Northern Mockingbird calling!!! The Northern Mockingbird was “mimicking” the sound of an ambulance!!! Isn’t that interesting!!!

There are 3 “mimics” on my list of 19 backyard birds. They are the Northern Mockingbird, the Brown Thrasher & the Gray Catbird!!!
In my list of 19 backyard birds, I also sometimes use the word “namesayer”. A “namesayer” is a bird like the Carolina Chickadee where it’s “name” - “Chickadee” - is the same thing as its “call”. The “call” of the Carolina Chickadee is “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” just like its “Chickadee” name!!!
There are 2 “namesayers” on my list of 19 backyard birds. They are the Carolina Chickadee & the Rufous Sided or Eastern Towhee!!! The Towhee’s call is “tow HEE”.
There are 18 birds in the United States which are “namesayers”. They all have their “name” also being their “call”!!! So if you just learn the names of those 18 “namesayers”, you will right away have learned the calls for 18 different birds!!! Wouldn’t that be incredible? All 18 “namesayers” are listed at the end of this letter. 

Your Bird List
Have you started your “Bird List” yet? A “Bird List” is a list of ALL the “different” birds that you have ever seen over your entire life. Your “Bird List” includes the name of the bird and the date when you first saw it. You also might include where you first saw it. It’s fun to keep a “Bird List”. My bird list is 550 different birds but I began watching birds over 40 years ago, so I have a big jump on you!!!

Your Backyard Bird Feeder System
Do you have a bird feeder in your backyard? It will certainly help you attract the birds to your yard. But “different” birds like to eat “different” foods so if you have several “different” types of feeders, you will attract many different types of birds to your yard!!!

Birds also love water, especially moving water. So I am sure that a water fountain with moving water would be really appreciated by your backyard birds!!!

For More Information, read my:
“My Backyard Bird Feeder System”
By Christopher Baldwin
I can send this to you!!!

 Binoculars for Kids
Do you have a pair of binoculars yet? Binoculars are very useful to help you look at birds!!! You look through them and they make your bird look much larger so you can study your bird up close. The adult term for this is binoculars “magnify” or “enlarge” your bird as much as 8 to 10 times!!! So binoculars make your bird appear much larger!!!

There are lots of different binoculars just for kids. I have put below some of the best sites on the Internet so you and your teacher or mother can help you decide what would be the best pair of binoculars for you!!!
When you look at different pairs of binoculars, the things most important to think about BEFORE you buy a pair are:

• Cost: Do they cost $25 or $200?
• Durability: This means how easy is it for you to break them?
• Size/Weight: You have to carry your binoculars around with you or put them around your neck if they come with a neck strap and you have to use them. How easy is it for your small hands to use your binoculars?
• “Optics”: This is a fancy word to describe how good a picture of your bird do you get when you look through your pair of binoculars? In general, binoculars that cost more usually have better “optics”!!! But with that said, the “optics” today with many pair of binoculars is quite good!!!

Why don’t you and your teacher & mother read the articles below about binoculars. They are quite good!!!

“The Best Binoculars for Kids”
Great Article - Quite Comprehensive!!! Very useful!!! Easy to compare the different brands!!!
https://birdwatchinghq.com/best-kids-binoculars/

“Binoculars for Kids”
Not as easy to compare the different brands
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/g33605544/best-binoculars-for-kids/

If you want an “adult” pair of binoculars, I can recommend several brands. Just ask!!!
One more thing about binoculars. Do you wear eye glasses? If you do, then it is very important that you get a pair of binoculars that have what is called “long eye relief”. To learn more about this, your teacher or mother needs to read my article about binoculars.
“How to Buy Binoculars & Spotting Scopes”
By Christopher Baldwin (appears below this blog)
I will send this to you if you request it!!!

 Birding Books & Field Guides
Besides binoculars, another good thing that most birders have are some good books about birds and birding!!! There are two types of books about birds.
First, there are “story books”. Story books ask lots of interesting questions about birds, give lots of interesting answers and there are tons of pretty pictures of the birds. A very good “story book” is:

National Geographic Little Kids 1st Big Book of Birds
Grade Level: Pre School to 2

But if you are 11 years old, the book above might be too easy for you!!!
A second type of bird book is called a “Field Guide”. A “Field Guide” is a book where each page is for a single bird. Each page describes:

• A picture of the bird
• Information about where the bird can be found
• Information about what the bird eats
• A picture of similar birds

​
The best “Field Guide” for you might be:
“Stokes Beginner’s Guide to Birds: Eastern Region”
By Donald & Lillian Stokes
The “Stokes Field Guide” has 100 pages all about 100 different birds. I am quite sure that ALL of YOUR backyard birds are in the “Field Guide”.
In addition, all of the 100 birds in this “Field Guide” are arranged by “color” - so all the red birds like our Northern Cardinal are grouped together and all the yellow birds like our American Goldfinch are grouped together. This means that when you see a new bird in your backyard, all you have to do is know its COLOR and then if it say is blue, you just open your “Field Guide” to where the “blue birds” are located. Then you look at all the “blue birds” in your “Field Guide” until you find your bird!!! Once you do this, you can find the name of your bird and read all about it!!! What fun!!!
Well if you are older and better at reading books, you might want to use an even better “Field Guide”. The best one for you might be:

Peterson’s First Guide to Birds of North America
By Roger Tory Peterson
Grades: 5-7

This “Field Guide” also has many pictures and information about many birds but not 100 different birds, instead 188 different birds. In addition, the 188 pictures of the birds are NOT grouped by color so it is not as easy to use. This “Field Guide” is an adult “Field Guide” and the birds are grouped in a special way that bird experts have decided is the best way to group birds!!!
But this “Field Guide” has something that is very useful and can not be found in any other “Field Guide”. This “Field Guide” has with each picture of a bird, an “arrow” on the picture that points to the easiest part of the bird to recognize. Birders refer to this as “diagnostic” meaning if you see it on your bird, then you will immediately know which bird you have!!!
So if your bird is a Northern Cardinal, the picture of your Northern Cardinal in your “Field Guide” might have 2 little arrows - one pointing to the “diagnostic” bright red overall color of the Northern Cardinal and a 2nd arrow pointing to the Northern Cardinal’s “diagnostic” bright orange beak!!! This is very helpful to correctly match your bird in your backyard with the right bird in your “Field Guide”. The Vet Technicians
Sometimes young birders when they grow up, might want to become a Vet Technician!!! That would be absolutely fantastic!!!
I was an assistant volunteer Vet Technician for 2 years many years ago at the Carolina Raptor Center until I just got clawed & bitten too many times. You see bird claws sometimes carry a lot of dangerous diseases in them and I just got too scared!!!
If you visit the Carolina Raptor Center, you will NOT be allowed to visit the injured birds and talk to the staff that care for them but you can visit 30 other healthy caged birds located nearby, mostly “raptors”. A “raptor” is a big bird that has a long, strong, sharp, down curved beak, long, strong, sharp, curved claws called “talons”, is “carnivorous” meaning it eats meat like other birds and mammals and is therefore called a “predator”!!!

I have a cute story to tell you!!!
Once when I was an Assistant Vet Technician at the Carolina Raptor Center, I and others were responsible for giving the birds their “meds” - or medicine - using tiny eye droppers. So one day I sauntered over to one of the cages marked “NSWO”!!!
I immediately looked to my left, then to my right and finally asked the person on my right, “Do we actually have a Northern Saw Whet Owl here?”
You see Northern Saw Whet Owls are NOT found in Charlotte, NC!!! They are found much further north in the Arctic. The person responded, “Yes”!!! I replied “REALLY!!!”
Northern Saw Whet Owls are the cutest birds, extremely tiny & quite fast!! Well the cage also had a 2nd sign on it that said, “BEWARE - ESCAPE ARTIST”!!! Well that warning did not exactly thrill me!!! So I gingerly cracked open the door to the bird’s cage and then with my left hand lunged at it. I got it!!! So I gave the bird their meds and then returned it to their cage without a problem!!!
So my friend then tells me, “You know they are going to “release” it next week”!!! “Release” meant that the bird was healthy and they were going to let it go. So I said again, “REALLY?” I like to say “Really” a lot!!!
Then my friend said, “You know you could do the “release”. The only problem is that you have to drive 2 hours west up 4,000’ to the top of the Blue Ridge Parkway to do the “release” as that is as close as we can get to mimicking the bird’s natural Arctic habitat.” I said, “I can do that!!!”
So 4 days later I drove to the Carolina Raptor Center, picked up my bird and it’s cage, drove myself & my Northern Saw Whet Owl 2 hours west up 4,000’ to the top of the Blue Ridge Parkway and set my Northern Saw Whet Owl free. I thought the experience was quite satisfying!!!

I have included the names of 3 Vet Technician sites below!!! At one of those sites, I think you can actually visit the injured birds and talk to the bird rehabilitators or staff!!! At the Carolina Raptor Center, they have 30 wonderful displays of caged raptors!!!

Carolina Raptor Center
6000 Sample Road
Huntersville, NC 28078
704-875-6521

CarolinaRaptorCenter.org
Mostly raptors, some vultures which “technically” are not raptors because their talons are very weak. Vultures are not “predators” that prey on live prey. They are scavengers and only eat dead animals called “carrion”.  Vet Tech facility closed to the public. Main 30 raptor cages open to the public and extremely informative!!

Carolina Waterfowl Rescue
PO Box 1484
5403 Poplin Road
Indian Trail, NC 28079
704-668-9486
WaterfowlRescue@AOL.com

Just birds
I believe open to the public but you must call in advance.
Appalachian Wildlife Refuge
P.O. Box 824
Candler, NC 28715
828-633-6364
AppalachianWild.org
Birds, Mammals, Reptiles
Not open to the public

 Internet Sources
Here are some great websites on the Internet that your teacher & mother can show you!!!

Tips for Birding With Children
Very Good!!!
But the recommended binoculars are no longer for sale
http://www.birdwatching.com/tips/kids_birding.html

Bird Watching for Kids
Good discussion of “Bird Identification Basics”
https://www.easternflorida.edu/community-resources/child-development-centers/parent-resource-library/documents/birdwatching-nature-wise.pdf

So have fun birding!!!

Sincerely,
Christopher Baldwin
Master Naturalist
704-650-8833

ChrisBaldwin8@Me.com “Name Sayers” or “Onomatopoeic” Birds
5/31/20
These birds have their “name” to be the same thing as their “call”!!!

1. Rufous Sided or Eastern Towhee “tow HEE” “tow HEE”
2. Killdeer “kill-Deer” “Kill-Deer”
3. Black Capped Chickadee “Chick-a-Dee-Dee-Dee”
4. Carolina Chickadee “Chick-Dee-Dee-Dee” - Only way to tell the two Chickadee’s apart is song & range but they do overlap in range in Charlotte
5. Northern Bobwhite “Bob-Bob-WHITE”
6. Chucks Wills Widow “Chucks wills Widow”
7. Whip Poor Will “Whip poor WILL” “Whip poor WILL” repeated endlessly at night
8. Blue Jay “Jay! Jay! Jay!”
9. Eastern Phoebe “Fee BEE”
10. Eastern Wood Pewee “pee a WEEE”
11. Veery “vee-ree reer-ee reer-ee reer-ee”
12. American Crow “Caw Caw Caw”
13. Fish Crow “Cah Cah” truncated - Differentiate Common Crow from American Crow totally by sound
14. Tennessee Warbler “ten ten ten ten see see see see”
15. Bobolink “bob o link spink spank”
16. Dickcissel “dick dick dick sis sis sis sissel”
17. Chipping Sparrow “chip chip chip chip” - Similar to Pine Warbler & Dark Eyed Junco
18. Northern Flicker “Flick-flick-flick-flick-flickeeeer”

Mimics
Mimics are not namesayers. They are “mimics”. They mimic other birds, fire engines, ambulances, whatever!!!

1. Gray Catbird “Meow” at end of call and thus it’s name - Repeats it’s call once
2. Brown Thrasher - Repeats it’s call twice
3. Northern Mockingbird - Repeats it’s call at least 3 times. I once strangely heard an ambulance deep in the middle of Central Park NYC only to finally realize that it was a Northern Mockingbird calling!!!

How to Buy Binoculars & Spotting Scopes
​September 2020
by ​Christopher Baldwin
 
Binoculars

#1 There are two types of binoculars - porro prism & roof prism.  Optics in both can be very good.  Porro prism are much bulkier, heavier and slightly cheaper.  Roof prism are 2 simple tubes, sleeker, lighter and slightly more expensive. I always prefer roof prism.

#2 If you wear glasses like me, NEVER take your glasses off to use your binoculars.  You need your glasses to see the bird.  Then you lift your binoculars up and look directly at the bird.  Don’t move your binoculars around to look for the bird.  Trust that your bird is there in your view, just the bird is not moving. Wait a couple minutes.  If you do not see the bird moving, lower your binoculars and start the process all over again.

#3 The binoculars come with rubber cups.  Since I am a glasses wearer, the cups should be turned down so that they are unused. With the rubber cups turned down, my eyes are closer to the exit pupil. If you do not wear glasses, turn the cups up and use them. They will shield some of the sun at the edges.

#4 Binoculars come with 2 dimensions.  Here are mine:
Nikon 10 x 36
Alpha Ed 8 x 42
The 1st number is the magnification. For birding you want at least 8x and nothing stronger than 10x. If you get something weaker than 8x, that may be fine for opera glasses but not birding. If you get something stronger than 10x, you may have a challenge finding your bird!!!
The 2nd # is the field of view.  For birding the best is 36 to 42.

#5 OK this is very important for glasses wearers and even perhaps for non glasses wearers. Most binoculars DO NOT have that large an exit pupil.  So when you look through your binoculars the exit pupil is very tiny. Well glasses makes this even worse since the glasses push your eye away from the exit pupil.  So it is IMPERATIVE that you purchase a pair of binoculars that have what is called “long eye relief”.  “Long eye relief” of at least 14mm and maybe as high as 18mm is highly recommended!!!
Unfortunately binocular stores do not have a clue what “long eye relief” means nor do binocular companies advertise “long eye relief”.  Long eye relief means that the exit pupil is HUGE, just HUGE!!!
So you have 2 choices. You can not buy binoculars through the mail. You must go to a binoculars store like Biggs Camera on Kings Drive, test a lot of pairs and hope you can find one that has long eye relief OR just buy one of my two pair of binoculars. I have a Nikon 10 x 36 and Alpha Ed 10 x 42. Both of my pair of binoculars have long eye relief and both are great birding binoculars!!!
 
If I did not wear glasses, I think I still would buy a pair of binoculars with “long eye relief” because the exit pupil is like 2x as large as the exit pupils in binoculars without “long eye relief”.
Best Long Eye Relief Binoculars for Bird Watching
https://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/blog/long-eye-relief-binoculars-for-bird-watching-06/

#6 Binocular Straps
Most binoculars come with a pretty thin strap that goes around your neck. Well wearing binoculars for 8 hours can be a challenge to your neck. For this reason, I always remove the narrow strap and replace it with a “harness”. A “harness” has your two arms slip into the contraption and absolutely no weight is put on your neck. It is infinitely more comfortable!!!
Vortex Binocular Harnass Strap
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/436591-USA/Vortex_VTHARNESS_Binocular_Harness.html

#7 Good friend Carol Buie-Jackson sells my Alpha Ed 8 x 42 at her nature store Bird House on the Greenway 6416 Rea Road South Charlotte. Mention my name.  Call to make sure in stock. It is also a fun and great birding store!!!

Binoculars for Kids

For your child or grandchild!!!
Do you have a pair of binoculars yet? Binoculars are very useful to help them look at birds!!! You look through them and they make your bird look much larger so you can study your bird up close. The adult term for this is binoculars “magnify” or “enlarge” your bird as much as 8 to 10 times!!! So binoculars make your bird appear much larger!!!
There are lots of different binoculars just for kids. I have put below some of the best sites on the Internet so you and your teacher or mother can help you decide what would be the best pair of binoculars for you!!!

When you look at different pairs of binoculars, the things most important to think about BEFORE you buy a pair are:
Cost: Do they cost $25 or $200?
Durability: This means how easy is it for you to break them?
Size/Weight: You have to carry your binoculars around with you or put them around your neck if they come with a neck strap and you have to use them. How easy is it for your small hands to use your binoculars?

“Optics”: This is a fancy word to describe how good a picture of your bird do you get when you look through your pair of binoculars? In general, binoculars that cost more usually have better “optics”!!! But with that said, the “optics” today with many pair of binoculars is quite good!!!
Why don’t you and your parents read the articles below about binoculars. They are quite good!!!

“The Best Binoculars for Kids”
Great Article - Quite Comprehensive!!! Very useful!!! Easy to compare the different brands!!!
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/436591-USA/Vortex_VTHARNESS_Binocular_Harness.html

“Binoculars for Kids”
Not as easy to compare the different brands
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/g33605544/best-binoculars-for-kids/
​
One more thing about binoculars for kids. Do you wear eyeglasses? If you do, then it is very important that you get a pair of binoculars that have what is called “long eye relief”. To learn more about this, your parents need to read this entire article!!!

Night Vision Binoculars
I recently saw an ad on TV for a pair of night vision binoculars that cost only around $45. The ad implied that they actually worked. I know that really, really good night vision binoculars cost upwards of $2,000 a pair and it is questionable how good they really are. But on a lark I bought a pair of “Night Owl Pro Nexgen Night Vision Binoculars” and believe it or not they actually worked!!! I can actually see things in the dark!!! Absolutely incredible!!! And only $45!!!
https://www.opticsden.com/best-night-vision-binoculars/

Spotting Scopes
#1 Spotting Scopes are not meant for warblers and vireos. Warblers & vireos flit around too much to stay in your spotting scope. Spotting scopes are meant for stationary birds like ducks, shorebirds and nesting eagles!!! They give you the ability to easily identify birds in the distance plus they give you the opportunity to see the details on the bird!!!

#2. Whatever you do, do not try to use an astronomy telescope. Their magnification is much too large for birding, they are hard to sight through and they are often not weather proofed.

#3. Spotting scopes are medium range telescopes usually with an eyepiece that has a magnification of between 15x and 60x. I love my Kowa scope and just use an eyepiece with a magnification of 25x. Anything a lot higher and I find it a challenge to find the bird. In addition, higher powers magnify the distortions from haze and shimmering heat. Higher magnifications are in my opinion simply not worth it!!!

#4. Zoom Lens
Some eyepieces and spotting scopes offer you the advantage of zoom lens. I don’t use one but I bought my spotting scope a long time ago when the quality of zoom lens was very suspect. Today I know the quality of zoom lens has improved but I still remain a bit skeptical and am very comfortable with my Kowa scope and 25x eyepiece!!! This compares with my binoculars that only have a magnification of 10x.
 
#5. Eyepiece Placement
Kowa and most scope manufacturers offer 2 different types of eyepiece placement. My Kowa has the eyepiece positioned for “straight through viewing” which makes it easier to find your bird in your scope. Other models have a “45 degree angled eyepiece” where you look down at a 45 degree angle into the scope. The 45 degree angle model admittedly has some advantages when you have a group of people of different heights, but I still prefer my “straight through viewing scope” as it makes it much easier to find my bird in the scope!!!

#6. Enhancing Finding Your Bird
Remember my Kowa has the eyepiece positioned for “straight through viewing”. There is a spot on my Kowa where I am supposed to look through that spot to see my bird and if I do this, the bird then appears in my scope. But it does not work perfectly. So I have taken this one step further. I have with duct tape attached a bent paper clip near the front of the scope. I then line up the circular end of the paper clip so that when I look through the spot on my Kowa AND look through the bent paper clip AND see my bird in the middle of the paper clip, then the bird REALLY IS IN MY SCOPE!!! I find this to be immensely useful!!! It saves me a lot of time trying to get my bird in the scope!!!  I could obviously not do this if I had a “45 degree angled eyepiece”!!!

#7. Long Eye Relief
I already spoke at length about the importance of “long eye relief” with binoculars for glasses wearers and maybe even for non glasses wearers. Well certainly eyeglass wearers should pay attention to the amount of eye relief offered by the scope. With longer eye relief, the optics direct the focal point farther back behind the eyepiece so the eyeglass wearer can see a complete field of view. Eye relief is given in millimeters in the model’s technical specifications. Generally, 12–15 mm of eye relief is adequate for most eyeglass wearers.

#8. Rubber Cups
As with binoculars, some scope designs have folding or moveable rubber eyecups to accommodate non-eyeglass wearers. Eyeglass wearers should NOT use the rubber cups. Non eyeglass wearers should use the rubber cups as they will shield the edges from sun.

#9. Tripods
Definitely buy a good tripod. Even the brightest, crispest, most powerful scope won’t provide a good image if it’s mounted on a flimsy tripod. Look for a rigid, sturdy tripod with as few leg adjustments as possible. Flip locks on the legs are a good, quick way to extend and retract the tripod and to adjust for uneven ground.

Good birding!!!

 - A reader sent us this link from Denver, CO, and we think it offers some good information on various brands. Check it out!

July 8, 2020
by Lorena Romo

From honeybees to beautiful birds, it’s easy to make changes to your backyard that will attract wildlife. Our guide explains how you can transform your backyard and turn it into your very own wildlife sanctuary.
Wildlife plays a vital role in securing a healthy environment, whether it’s insects, birds, or mammals. With more humans encroaching on the planet than ever before, it’s so important now to make sure that each one of us does our part to preserve the wildlife in our environment and our communities. A healthy wildlife population ensures healthier plants, cleaner air, and a better balance in nature overall. If you appreciate nature and want to encourage more wildlife activity in your own backyard, there are several things you can do to attract animals and insects alike. Read on for some helpful tips you can use to preserve and promote healthy wildlife right where you live.
The Benefits of Creating Your Own Wildlife Sanctuary. Spending time outdoors can make you feel at ease, reduce stress, and give you time to clear your mind. When you create your own wildlife sanctuary, you’ll also get to enjoy the sights and sounds of mother nature in your own backyard. From singing birds to buzzing bees and scampering squirrels, wildlife is fun to watch and also brings about feelings of harmony and calm. By making a few changes to your backyard, you can become a part of the nature that surrounds you. You’ll also feel good knowing that you’re contributing to a healthy environment while encouraging pollinators, birds, and other creatures to thrive.
Creating a DIY wildlife sanctuary in your backyard is also a wonderful way to educate your children. This hands-on learning experience will spark the imagination and encourage your kids to want to learn more about science, animals, and the environment as a whole. As you bring in more plants and flowers, you’re also contributing to cleaner air and a better world. 

DIY Wildlife Sanctuary: How to Attract Wildlife. No matter where you live or the size of your backyard, it’s easy to attract specific species to your sanctuary. Remember to be patient when attempting to introduce new insects and animals to your backyard. It takes a little bit of patience and ingenuity, but eventually, your backyard will start to buzz with the activity of new creatures making it their home.
Bees
Bees are some of the world’s most important pollinators, so it’s always good to encourage them to thrive. Plant a few native wildflowers and other attractants that will lure bees to your garden or landscape. Look for flowers that will thrive in your specific region and plant them in the backyard to attract bees and promote healthy pollination.

• Bee Fountain: A bee fountain (or bee bath) is a wonderful way to encourage bees to thrive in your yard. This small fountain provides water to bees to keep them cool, feed their babies, dilute honey, and aid with healthy digestion. Take a shallow dish and place it on top of an inverted pot. Place river rocks at the bottom so the bees won’t drown, then fill it with fresh water somewhere in your garden.
• Bee Hotel: This “insect hotel” is designed to attract solitary bees so they have a place to lay their eggs. Bee hotels include several cavities or holes all placed inside a single structure. You can make a bee hotel yourself using a wooden frame with hollow stems or empty bamboo canes placed inside These bee hotels are also available at many garden stores.

Squirrels
With their fluffy tails and charming mannerisms, squirrels are a fun addition to any backyard wildlife sanctuary. These little animals are easy to entice, and they’ll provide you with tons of entertainment and an enjoyable environment.

• Nut Bowl: Squirrels love nuts, so fill up a tray with a selection of sunflower seeds, unroasted peanuts, and corn kernels. Keep your squirrel nut bowl away from bird feeders so that the squirrels will enjoy their meal without disturbing your feathered friends.
• Squirrel Baffle: If you really want to enjoy your backyard wildlife sanctuary, add a squirrel baffle to the mix. These hanging contraptions give the squirrels a place to exercise, jump, and play. Squirrel baffles can feature a cone shape that wraps around your bird feeder pole, or they can be a cylinder that you attach to the pole to keep the squirrels away. Hanging baffles with a dome shape is the best option to enjoy the squirrel’s shenanigans.

Birds
The type of birds you attract to your backyard will depend on your region and climate. However, most birds respond favorably to anywhere they can enjoy a bath, a safe place to nest, and some food.

• Birdhouses and/or Nesting Boxes: A birdhouse or nesting box provides native birds with a safe place to rest, lay eggs, and raise their young. Most birds prefer their nests to be in a hidden area, so place your birdhouse on a tree among lots of branches. Extra foliage will give the birds the privacy they need and keep them safe from predators.
• Birdbath: It’s easy to attract birds by adding a simple birdbath to your backyard. This addition is especially helpful to birds during the hotter months of spring and summer. Make sure your birdbath is constantly full of clean water and change it often. Put gravel in the bottom of the birdbath so they can maintain their footing and place it near a shady area so the water doesn’t get too hot.

Hummingbirds
These tiny birds are one of nature’s most fascinating creatures. You can lure hummingbirds to your backyard by providing them with an extra boost of energy in the form of delicious nectar. Hummingbirds migrate, but they stop in specific areas for a set period of time to feed before moving onto their destination.

• Nectar (Hummingbird feeders): Your hummingbird feeder should be presented in bright colors that resemble a flower, such as yellow, red, purple, or pink. To feed your hummingbirds, fill the reservoir with homemade nectar and avoid store-bought nectars, particularly the red-colored type since it’s actually dangerous to hummingbirds. Mix one cup of white granulated sugar with four cups of water and stir it thoroughly till fully dissolved. Hang your feeder from a tree branch or on your back porch and enjoy watching these tiny birds hover, squeak, and feed.

Butterflies
Butterflies are some of nature’s most beautiful insects. Their colorful wings add beauty to your backyard, and they also serve an important purpose as pollinators for plants and flowers.

• Butterfly Garden: The best way to attract butterflies is to plant a variety of flowers they enjoy. Make sure you plant a diverse mixture of flowers to encourage several different types of butterflies to visit. Plant flowers in a myriad of colors, shapes, and sizes and rotate your flowers to grow throughout all four seasons. Use shrubs or trees to protect butterflies from the wind so they can pollinate your garden in peace.
• Caterpillars: You can also welcome caterpillars to your backyard, which are basically baby butterflies. These little crawling insects need a host plant where the larvae can feed. Research which caterpillar host plants will thrive in your area and include them in your butterfly garden so you can watch the metamorphosis take place.

Other wildlife besides honeybees, butterflies, birds, and squirrels, you can do some things to attract other wildlife species, too. First, mimic or recreate the natural environment that animals are used to by minimizing excess clutter in your yard. Look for native plants and only use them in your garden or backyard. Wildlife knows which plants, trees, and flowers belong where they live and which ones do not. If you provide a source of water and food, it’s almost a guarantee that wildlife will come. Just make sure that you’re not encouraging animals to visit if you live in an area with a lot of traffic or where wildlife might not be welcomed by your neighbors. The key is to promote a healthy habitat by encouraging animals, birds, and insects to live here safely.

Do’s and Don’ts: As you plan your backyard wildlife sanctuary, there are a few important do’s and don’ts to keep in mind:

• DO: Try to keep species separated to promote harmony and prevent overcrowding or fighting.
• DO: Keep birdbaths, feeders, and other items clean and sanitary as much as possible.
• DO: Provide natural sources of shelter for wildlife by planting shrubs and evergreen trees.
• DON’T: Allow your backyard to become cluttered. Remove old furniture and toys to open up the backyard so animals will want to stay.
• DON’T: Use dangerous pesticides and other chemicals to keep weeds under control. Always choose organic plant food and pesticides so that your wildlife and the environment stays safe.
• DON’T: Feed your wildlife table scraps, processed food, or any other form of “human food” as this can be detrimental to the wildlife population.

With a bit of patience and some creativity, you can start your very own private wildlife sanctuary at home. Remember to use native plants and flowers to entice pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Clean feeders and baths regularly and watch your wildlife flourish as you contribute to a healthy population of these important insects, animals, and birds.

We want to share some of the wonderful blogs that we follow on the National Wildlife Federation's website. Click the image below to follow.

October, 2015
Author: Heidi Pruess

Backyard Habitats
 
We finally did it!  Our backyard has now joined the more than 900 certified wildlife habitats in Charlotte.  You can have a certified wildlife habitat for a yard too!
 
Our path to certification began 9 years ago when we moved to Charlotte.  The home we selected is uphill from an unnamed tributary, in the Mallard Creek watershed.  This nearby tributary does provide wildlife habitat however watching butterflies or listening to birds is better in your own backyard.  We didn’t know it at the time but our new home was about to become a wildlife habitat.  Certified Wildlife Habitats are described by the National Wildlife Federation (www.nwf.org) as gardens that:

1. Provide Food for Wildlife,
2. Supply Water for Wildlife,
3. Create Cover for Wildlife,
4. Give Wildlife a Place to Raise Their Young, and
5. Help Wildlife Thrive with Healthy Habitat through Sustainable Practices.

 
We moved in and the work began.  The first task at our new home was to work on the landscaping.  An existing natural area was part of our backyard but the remainder of our outdoor property had dying grass and struggling shrubbery resulting from years of neglect.   We began by replacing the dying grass with a drought tolerant Zoyzia grass, allowing us to minimize watering and chemical use that is required of other grasses.   Our yard had extremely steep slopes, actively eroding away, so we moved soil, erected a small retaining wall and series of stone planter boxes, and added a rock garden /mulched area.

"Then"  2006 yard

"Now" 2015 Yard

​Adding mulch around the shrubs and creating new mulch gardens, taking the place of some grass, has not only decreased the amount of watering we must do but has added to the cover and protection for many beneficial insects and our colorful amphibian lizard and frog friends.  (✓ for Sustainable Practices)
 
Before planting native shrubs and plants we needed to remove many invasive species.  Removing the invasive Bradford Pear trees from our lawn was a challenge as the roots sent up shoots (a.k.a., suckers) for years after the trees were gone.    We also removed Chinese Privet, Japanese Honeysuckle, Wisteria, and Porcelainberry from our natural area and continue to fight these invasive plants, although each year the battle is easier.   The annual tree seedling sale hosted by the Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District, provided the native dogwood, spicebush, short-leaf pine, and button bushes (the butterflies really love these) now populating our yard habitat.  We did leave some of our dead or dying trees in the natural area to provide cover and food for our wildlife friends.  (✓ Food and Cover)

The results of our small effort to create a wildlife habitat are amazing!  I wish I could share photographs of all our wildlife friends but some are just too fast to capture!  Needless to say, we have a serenade of sounds each evening as we sit on our backyard deck and enjoy our wildlife habitat.

Completing the on-line Certified Wildlife Habitat application was easy.  Join the Community Wildlife Habitat in Charlotte by certifying your yard today, just clicking on the link above or go to www.nwf.org !  You can learn more about wildlife habitats and Charlotte Wildlife Stewards (Charlotte Chapter of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation) by attending the free community programs, listed here.​

A ruby - throated hummingbird darts about sipping nectar from the coral honeysuckle that climbs a tree in Janice Beck’s backyard. Meanwhile a female bluebird clucks softly from a branch near her next box.

Having lived in Charlotte’s Sherwood Forest neighborhood for nearly 50 years, Mrs. Beck has enjoyed watching her wildlife habitat evolve from a mixture of native hardwoods, wildflowers and other family heirloom plants. A yellow rose winds around a front-yard tree and a half-dozen iris shoot skyward. “A lot of these plants came from my mother and aunts,” she says.

“It’s been an enjoyable project that has continued through the years,” she adds, “I think providing cover for wildlife has been the most important thing.”

Mrs. Beck bubbles as she tells about a time that a large magnolia in her back yard coughed up a family of barred owls. “The mother pushed the babies out, and they were hopping around in the grass, looking like little old ladies with woolly caps and jumping up in the bird bath,” she continues.

Back in 1988, Mrs. Beck sent away for an application to certify her backyard as an official wildlife habitat with the National Wildlife Federation, but it was her son, Rick, who completed the paperwork for what is now a simple on-line process.

Beck explains that her late son found a welcome respite documenting the nature in the urban yard as he recovered from massive radiation he received to treat Hodgkin’s disease. “He would sit on the patio in the shade of a dogwood counting the birds that visited,” she tells.

Dogwoods bloom and hover over azaleas, perennials, and ferns in a large section of natural area in her front yard. The backyard hosts a large patio and small lawn area flanked by a quarter-acre of mixed oak, maple, and hickory, with a few sweetgum trees.

This past winter she enjoyed seeing eight deer that appeared just before a snow and ice storm. “I put out a bag of corn for them,” she says, adding that the deer have also come to nibble on her roses, but she doesn’t seem to mind sharing.

Besides regular seed feeders, Beck puts out mealworms for the bluebirds who visit her deck above the backyard. Misters on two bird baths provide additional spots to cool-off , and the moisture has also fostered a lush moss-filled lawn in front and a vibrant violet lawn in back.

Beck says that she once tried to till and replant the back lawn with turf grass, but it just didn’t flourish. “I learned to let it be what it’s going to be,” she says of her wildlife gardening. “You have to leave some of the weeds and junk for the animals. It can’t be ALL pretty- pretty.”

Still, Beck’s yard is gorgeous with spring blooms and provides a peaceful oasis in an urban neighborhood for humans and wildlife alike.

“This is my Church of One,” she explains. “Sometimes if I don’t feel like going to church, I can come out on my deck and just watch nature. What could be better than enjoying God’s handiwork?”

To date, Beck’s long-time backyard habitat is joined by more than 900 others in Charlotte, certified by the National Wildlife Federation, and qualifying the city to be recognized as a “Community Wildlife Habitat”.

Hidden down a gravel drive off Alexander Road in south Charlotte are several acres of privately-owned wildlife habitat, many of which have been protected and cultivated for more than 35 years.

Former landscape designer Diana Travis along with her partner, MaryAnn Mueller oversee a 5 ½ acre woodland getaway they call “Big Cedars”, plus another 2 acres where their house sits. Certified with the National Wildlife Federation as official wildlife habitat back in 1990, the land, along with several neighbors’ lots, totals almost 23 wildlife-friendly acres, smack-dab in the middle of an otherwise urban/suburban landscape.

One of the first NWF certified habitats in Charlotte, this wildlife haven is now joined by more than 900 others leading to Charlotte’s recent recognition as a “Community Wildlife Habitat”, the largest city to obtain such certification east of the Mississippi River.

Blooming native dogwoods and redbuds light up Diana’s area in early April. These, combined with some unusual white pines (normally a mountain species), Arizona cypress, and huge Osmanthus bushes provide much cover for local songbirds.

“I’m a firm believer in planting native plants,” Diana emphasizes, “but some nice non-native species still provide good cover for wildlife.”

“I will never plant a kousa dogwood,” she counters. “Our native dogwoods can feed some 80 species of birds, while the other kind is only good for feeding yellow jackets.”

On one recent afternoon, a mallard duck waddles up to nibble on corn she put out beneath a sweetgum tree. Here, a good hundred feet out from her house, she stocks a squirrel feeder and scatters chopped apples for the deer. “One evening we saw five bucks standing out here,” she says, noting that the feeding station also keeps the squirrels away from the bird feeders she placed closer to the house.

A brown-headed nuthatch flies in and out of a bird-house oddly placed ON the house near the front door. Apparently the cute, little brown bird (a cavity-nester that also depends on pine tree habitat) had chipped a hole in the siding to nest there last year. Diana found a bird-house specifically designed for that species at Renfro Hardware in Matthews. She simply mounted the box over last year’s hole, and the birds came back to use it.

Several other sizes and styles of bird houses flank a large fenced vegetable/flower/herb garden near the house. Diana reports that they usually have at least 3 or 4 occupied with nests each season. One of her favorite “bird” places, however, is an overgrown grape vine that forms a huge brown tangle in early spring. Unkempt and untrimmed, the natural maze provides a popular wildlife hiding place.

A native yaupon holly at the back of the house also provides special bird entertainment. With its plentiful red berries, the tree is likely to host two to three dozen cedar waxwings in the winter months.

A winding creek runs through Diana’s back acreage where she sometimes camps out in her very own storage-shed-turned-wilderness-cabin with an added screened in porch. “We’ve seen fox, deer, opossum, owls, raccoons, and field mice,” she lists. Scattered persimmon trees add to the wildlife appeal along with the red cedars.

“Cedars provide a lot of berries in winter,” Diana explains, adding that birds also like to strip the flakey bark to add to their nests.

Lucky to have wildlife-loving neighbors, Diana and MaryAnn appreciate one adjacent property with a large pond and another where a lazy horse hangs out calmly in a green pasture. The total of 23 neighborhood acres joins several other acres of non-developed land behind the Oxford Hunt subdivision.

“Providing corridors for wildlife is important too, because wildlife needs to be able to move from place to place,” Diana explains. “If a fox has a litter of pups, they need a territory to grow in. They can’t all just stay on one small lot.

She insists that providing wildlife with food, water, cover, and places to raise young benefits her own peace of mind.    “It’s nice to be able to get out apart from all the traffic, the buildings, and loud music,” she says. “It’s such a wonderful experience to sit and see something wild that’s not bound by our boundaries, that’s not part of our world.”

Twenty-eight years ago Wan Marsh made lists of her backyard plants to complete a simple form.  She and husband Edwin had shrubs to provide cover for birds and tasty berries for food. They set out bird baths for water, and whimsical houses for nesting spots. In 1987, when they certified their backyard in the Madison Park neighborhood of Charlotte as an official wildlife habitat with the National Wildlife Federation, they did not know they were beginning a local movement.

Today their 1/3 acre urban wildlife magnet is only one among more than 900 such certifications in Charlotte, helping to qualify the entire city as a Community Wildlife Habitat.

During a recent visit to the Marsh home, the couple made it clear that gardening for wildlife has been   part of their way of life for nearly three decades. Even with an in-ground pool and separate art studio for Wan, their small backyard still teems with plant life and all the avian visitors that go with it. A wide variety of shrubs, perennials, and herbs hide the back fence and scatter color in every nook and cranny of the yard. A towhee calls from the treetops and a brown thrasher flits beneath a bird bath.

“Start with water,” Wan advises any would-be wildlife gardeners. “It will attract more than you can imagine.” Not a fan of bird feeders, she has had great success letting her wild cherry tree flourish to feed wildlife, as well as a towering red cedar, and the many annual and perennial flowers that go to seed in late summer and fall.

“They also come to eat all the little insects in the bushes,” Edwin points out as he waves an arm across an entire back border of shrubbery. A large Oak Leaf Hydrangea peeks out between a variety of native and ornamental plants. Arborvitae and juniper provide cover for songbirds as well as “grandmother’s spiraea”. A palmetto waves in the breeze beneath one of several rustic birdhouses.

Among the Marsh’s favorites is a bird house shaped like their own Air Stream trailer. Apparently the local chickadees favor it too, by nesting there each spring. By early April there are already characteristic moss samples in the bottom of the hanging “trailer”.

The couple has enjoyed hearing and seeing tree frogs, chipmunks, rabbit, anoles, raccoon and hawks in their habitat, and they’re often entertained by bats swirling above the swimming pool at dusk. Wan suspects the local pair of barred owls are actually nesting in a hole in their front yard willow oak.

Several planters filled with herbs also decorate the area. “I always plant three times what I need of parsley,” Wan explains. “That way there’s some for me, and the rest for the caterpillars.” She also attracts butterflies with Joe Pye Weed, rhudbeckia, coneflower and coreopsis.

Even though she was a Master Gardener for 10 years, Wan emphasizes the fun of experimenting with plants. “It’s trial and error: you learn by doing,” she says. “Everything is not going to work, but you find out what does work. Just do it. That’s my advice.

“You would never know we are five miles from downtown Charlotte,” she exclaims. “We’ve made this a very secluded area.” And it’s one that she and Edwin seem to enjoy sharing with many wild creatures that others may never even see.

It's time to take the tree bands off of your trees now! The City of Charlotte is advising that the tree bands put up last Fall to protect the willow oaks from the dreaded cankerworm should be taken off early. 

The reason, according the Charlotte Observer, is beetle-related. The fiery searcher beetle, which can eat hundreds of caterpillars a day, can help reduce the caterpillar population this Spring even more. By taking the sticky bands off the trees now, this beetle can avoid getting caught up in the bands and instead can feast on Charlotte's willow tree nemesis. 

Winter weather is harsh, not just for us humans, but also for the birds. In their quest for food in natural areas, a tasty morsel of suet is a treasured find at a bird-feeder station. They are looking for that extra boost of energy, and suet provides just that.

What is Suet? Suet is packaged in cakes, and made out of animal fat that has been filled with birdseed, nuts, and sometimes, dried berries and even dried insects. Different companies offer different recipes which can be purchased at bird and garden stores around Charlotte. Or you can make your own suet. Fair warning, it can get a little messy.

Why Suet? Why Now? Suet a good choice, especially in winter, to offer your backyard birds? The main ingredient in suet, fat, is an important part of the birds diet – year-round. It provides the bird with a high-energy food source. Suet is a bit easier to handle in the winter, and won’t melt if left out for longer periods. You can also notice in your landscape, the limited offerings of food naturally available to birds (and other wildlife) during winter. It is important to the health of your birds to offer a variety of food for a well-balanced diet.

See First Hand how Suet Attracts Birds: I’ve noticed a plethora of birds visiting my suet feeder, regardless of season. Most of the time, woodpeckers dominate the suet, staking out their claim on the feeder and swallowing down the morsels, but finches, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmouses, Northern Cardinals, White-breasted Nuthatches, Brown-headed Nuthatches, Eastern Bluebirds, Blue Jays, Pine Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers and occasionally Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Chipping Sparrows, take turns.

Watching the interaction of the birds on the suet is also enjoyable. One season, I watched, amused, as a Brown Thrasher sat patiently under the suet and wait for another bird to furiously peck at the suet cake. The thrasher would proceed to eat the crumbs that dropped from above.

Suet brings a wider variety of birds to your feeders. I highly recommend making an addition to your yard, if you haven’t got one already. If you do, add another. You can sit inside by your window, have a cup of coffee and enjoy the warmth of your home. The birds will thank you for it!