Bill Danielson

Bill Danielson devises a way to keep the house wrens from nesting in the bluebird and swallow boxes and keep all his feathered friends housed.

Even when one pays close attention to the events transpiring outside, there are details that can go “unseen” for a while. You might see something without taking a moment to let it “land,” and then it becomes difficult to really nail down when something that is relatively new started to happen. I do my best to see things, recognize them for what they are, and then write them down so there is an official record, but even I come up short now and then. It's that last step — adding notes to the official record — that usually trips me up.

What starts as a hummingbird feeder becomes a hotspot for orioles, woodpeckers and other birds as they discover a sweet source of nectar, revealing how wildlife learns and adapts over

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I received a lot of positive feedback on my last house wren column and I thought that it might be fun to revisit the little family and give you an update on their progress. It also happens, quite randomly, that house wrens have been a regular topic of conversation among my colleagues at work. There seems to be general agreement on two points regarding house wrens: first, they are very cute, and second, they are very noisy. If you know anything about house wrens, then you will have to acknowledge that both are true.

Seven house wren chicks have hatched, transforming a backyard nest into a scene of nonstop feeding, fierce nest defense and surprisingly loud birdsong as the young birds prepare to fledge.

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Father's Day just happened to coincide with the first day of summer this year, and the morning of Sunday, June 21, was just about as perfect as one could want. Cool air and bright sun produced a morning of utter splendor, which was then improved in its quality by a chanced to sit on the back deck and sip coffee with love ones. Then, if you can imagine, it was improved further still by the appearance of fledgling birds following their parents around in a state of unbridled excitement. The world is now overflowing with baby birds.

Baby birds are everywhere this summer. Learn how to identify fledglings, understand their behavior and spot young red-bellied woodpeckers as families gather at backyard feeders.

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