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| Mother Nature's Southern Appalachian office. |  |
A hummer (Ruby Throat) buzzed me this evening, first of the season up here in North Georgia. I made some nectar (1 part sugar, 4 parts H2O) and put out the first hummer feeder of 2009 (2009!)...|North Georgia Mountains|AskaGuide|2009-4-18
Our Red-bellied Woodpecker likes to hang upside down on our suet feeder to peck his bill through the mesh wire and then fly away with a chunk of suet and seed mix. I suspect it has a nest of young ones nearby. We see this bird this time for the past several years.|Blue Ridge, GA|AskaGuide|2009-3-26
Here in Jacksonville, FL this afternoon, with temperatures dipping into the low 40s, spotted either a Kentucky or Hooded Warbler in our platform seed feeder. I am leaning toward it being the Kentucky variety as the Hooded is smaller. Here we are at the southern fringe of the range of both.|Jacksonville, FL|AskaGuide|2009-1-21
Brought the last hummer nectar feeder in last night. I have not seen a Ruby Throat in it for a few days. Early this morning temps dipped into the 30s. I think they are on their way to Costa Rica for the US East Coast Winter season.|Aska|AskaGuide|2008-10-18
Here it is, October 14th in the Aska Adventure Area, and we are still visited by the occasional hummer at our nectar feeder. Cool front coming in later this week, which may prompt even the remaining stragglers to head toward Central America and a few months of summer during the Winter in the Eastern US. Monarchs are also making more of an appearance on their migration South. I have read that decades ago, their migrations would almost darken the sky. I see the occasional one or two fluttering South at about 50 feet altitude. An indicator?|Aska|AskaGuide|2008-10-14
Some kind of Warbler, a couple or more, have been flitting around the front porch here, using our water filled large terracotta saucers for baths. They are olive and yellow with distinctive yellow bars on top of tail. |Aska Adventure Area|AskaGuide|2008-9-21
Watching a dozen or more female Ruby Throat hummers dance around the nectar feeders and Black-Eyed Susans in the garden, not seeing but one male and he is scarcely seen. What a harem!|Aska Adventure Area|AskaGuide|2008-8-6
We have more Ruby Throat hummingbirds feeding on both our flowers and nectar feeders than ever before. I think it may be as a result of the relatively wet Spring and Summer we have had so far. Flowers are everywhere, and so are the hummers...|Aska Adventure Area|AskaGuide|2008-8-6
Indigo Bunting in the platform sunflower feeder today, and this evening (now) at 6:30 PM we had a hailstorm with pea-sized hail. It made a clatter on the metal roof of the cabin.|Aska Adventure Area|AskaGuide|2008-6-22
A veritable flock of several Eastern Bluebirds were at our small subdivision "park" this AM. I was surprised, as we are in Jacksonville, FL, and as the weather has been so HOT this spring, bluebirds were not what I expected to see.|Jacksonville, FL|BonnieBlue|2008-6-12
Indigo Buntings are among our migratory sunflower feeder visitors each Spring. They stand out brightly with the Rose Breasted Grosbeaks, against the flocks of Goldfinches, Wrens, Nuthatches, Titmice, Chickadees, Pine Siskins that stay all year round.|Aska Adventure Area|AskaGuide|2008-4-30
Luna Moths have been roosting on our bug zapper. We have the bug zapper to try to kill carpenter bees that plague our cabin. The Luna Moths are gorgeous flying creatures. I will post pictures soon.|Aska Adventure Area|AskaGuide|2008-4-25
Towhees and Rose Breasted Grosbeaks have been feeding here for the last few weeks, and today I spotted an Eastern Bluebird. I hope it stays and nests. We had a pair nest in a box on a trellis on our front porch last Spring.|Aska Adventure Area|AskaGuide|2008-4-25
First male Ruby Throat hummer of the year sighted today at 2:40 PM buzzing through our porch (screen door was propped open) and toward the blooming Redbud tree.|Aska Adventure Area|AskaGuide|2008-4-8
Noticed the first Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus of the Spring today, a female, in one of our many bird baths. We use large terra cotta pot plates, 12" or so for watering birds, because they are shallow and look nice. Along with our feeders, it keeps the birds happy. The female Grosbeak has distinctive size, heavy brown streaking, and that unmistakable bill for cracking seeds.|Aska Adventure Area|AskaGuide|2008-3-23
Please feel free to blog at our new blogspot blog, easier to join, and dedicated as this online journal was, to bird watching in North Georgia's Southern Appalachian region.|Aska Adventure Area|AskaGuide|2008-3-19
For the past few days, a male Rufous-sided Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus, has been scratching around the ground under our main sunflower feeding station. We noticed it last year, and believe this Towhee to be a migratory visitor in the early Spring.|North Georgia|AskaGuide|2008-3-19
A pair of Carolina Wrens, Thryothorus ludovicianus, have about completed their nest inside a bird house with a clear back hung at the top of one of our bedroom windows. They are that rich brown color, with buff undersides, and white eyebrows. These wrens are here all year long. I would love to get a picture, so I removed the screen to that window, so there is only glass between them and my camera. Hope I have not spooked them.|Aska Adventure Area|AskaGuide|2008-3-18
Our male Red-bellied Woodpecker, Melanerpes carolinus has returned to our platform sunflower feeder, ground feeding the dropped seed, oblivious to the flock of a couple dozen Goldfinches Carduelis tristis already feeding above this afternoon. Some Red-bellies in the Northern part of its' range migrate South. This may be one of those that has returned home to breed here again. We hope it stays for a while. |Aska Adventure Area|AskaGuide|2008-3-4
Thanks for the post on Winter Wrens. Cornell has a great birding site.|Aska|AskaGuide|2007-01-05
Merry Christmas!|Aska|Beverly|2007-12-25
I have at least two pairs of Winter Wrens - Troglodytes troglodytes - nesting at my shack in the hills near Blairsville. They have got more energy than any bird I know!|Blairsville GA|BGBirdman|2007-12-23
I understand some immature hummers hang around into late Nov. I have seen them.|Southern NJ|CinnaBird|2007-12-09
What a great map, birdfeeder!|Aska|Beverly|2007-12-07
I have seen hummers in my feeders and we are well into November. I know you won't believe it! Here is a website that tracks Ruby-throated hummers and may confirm me: Migration of Ruby-throats.|North Georgia|birdfeeder|2007-12-01
We are watching a veritable flock of Eastern Bluebirds here in West Jacksonville, Florida. At least a half dozen or more pairs frequent the grounds of our tiny island park in the midst of our small lake here, and others have dined at our large platform feeder.|Jacksonville, FL|AskaGuide|2007-11-22
Butterfly activity has dropped off to nothing. The heavy rain last week and cool nights may be a factor...|Aska|AskaGuide|2007-10-27
Turkeys can fly at least across a two lane country road at a height of about 15 feet, high enough to avoid a passing car (mine). Turkey's seem extraordinarily prevalent this time of year.|North Georgia|birdfeeder|2007-10-27
It is not easy to get a picture of a Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) feeding on a flower with its' wings open. This species appears to feed with wings folded together. Swallowtails tend to feed on flowers with wings in the open or spread position. Perhaps this more restful feeding behavior may be a factor in explaining the Monarch's aptitude for long migration and life spans. Out of about sixty or so pictures I took one sunny Sunday afternoon, only about five are strike me as unusual and picture worthy enough to submit to this publication. Prints, both framed and unframed of these creatures will be displayed and offered at the upcoming Blue Ridge Arts Association 2007 Holiday Show. If you are a nature painter in either watercolors or acrylics looking for unusual butterfly scenes where one will stay put while you paint it, order a print from the gallery, or come see the show!|Aska|Cliff|2007-10-11
The Rose Breasted Grosbeaks "rose breast" of the males is noticeably more brilliant in the Fall than Spring.|Aska|wumpus|2007-10-7
Hummers appear to have left for warmer climates, even though we are still hitting the low to mid 80s here in the daytime.||AskaGuide|2007-10-7
With much cooler weather here in Aska, I returned our platform feeder to its' post, filled it with black oil sunflower seed, and this evening noticed a half dozen or more male and female Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks feeding in it. No doubt they are in migration southward.|Aska|AskaGuide|2007-9-30
Same here. More hummers than ever before.|Blue Ridge, GA|whodat|2007-9-9
Hummers are buzzing all over the place here.|Aska|AskaGuide|2007-8-1
It is that time of year when insect populations are down| and you need to feed your song birds.|Aska|whodat|2007-7-17
Did you know that there have been sightings of hummingbird species other than the Ruby Throat in many places along the East Coast of the US? |Aska|AskaGuide|2007-7-2
Hey, I think you (AskaGuide & Co.) may be off the mark in characterizing a bear visitation to a sunflower bird feeder as an "attack". The bears have a right to be there as much as the birds do, and think about this - black bears, relative to many songbirds much rarer sightings! We should try to encourage their appearance and co-existence with human habitation as much as we do with songbirds. Don't you think?|Aska|birdfeeder|2007-6-25
I can verify your Cedar Waxwing, citing, Uncle Jim, Bombycilla cedrorum have been visiting my hollies in flocks also.|Aska|AskaGuide|2007-5-14
A flock of sleek, masked, Cedar Waxwings feasted on our Holly berries today! What a sighting!|Aska|Uncle_Jim|2007-5-14
Telltale sign Grosbeaks have been in your platform sunflower feeder - the feeder is full of crushed sunflower husks. |Blue Ridge|Yeeehaa|2007-4-30
Nice Grosbeak picture on the home page special features for this month. Our sunflower feeder is being visited by Indigo Buntings Passerina cyanea. They are in the same Emberizidae family with Cardinals, Grosbeaks, and some other brightly colored birds that have conical bills adapted for crushing seeds.|Aska|wumpus|2007-4-27
Rose breasted Grosbeaks have been visiting our sunflower feeders in increasing numbers the last few days. They pass through this way every Spring at about this time.|Aska|AskaGuide|2007-4-25
Working on my house on a 16' ladder today, wearing a Tommy H. long sleeve RED shirt, I was startled by the close buzzing around me, that at first thought was a mad bee, but was the hummer that survived the 20 degree freak temps here in North Georgia last week. |Aska|AskaGuide|2007-4-19
Whodat, I agree with your comment on my observation. I just put a nectar feeder close to that spot with frest 1:4 sugar water. Hope that keeps the hummers warm during the few days of unseasonably (climatic change?) cold Spring weather to come...|Aska|AskaGuide|2007-4-15
If your Savannah Holly is like ours, it still has a lot of red berries on it, which may be why your wierd wintry Hummer was hanging around it. Since the intervening Spring frost probably killed any red flowers that it may have been visiting...|Aska|whodat|2007-4-15
I noticed a pair of Cardinals "kissing" this afternoon. Perched together on adjacent branches of a rosebush, oblivious to the thorns, they either kissed or were exhchanging a sunflower seed from the nearby feeder. Nevertheless, their beaks did touch!|Aska|whodat|2007-4-15
It is snowing here, on the afternoon of April 15th in the mountains of Northern Georgia (Aska area). Looking out on my front porch I happened to see a female Ruby Throat hummer perched on our Savannah Holly. It flew off, into the flurries. A couple weeks ago, I put out the nectar feeders as the high temps were near 80. Since then we've had a frost that turned our Red Buds spring leafing brown along with the Wysteria, and many other varieties.|Aska|AskaGuide|2007-4-15
Hummer (male) visited out feeder today, first hummer sighting of this spring. It is early, and even though we have had days in the 70s for the last week or so, in three days we will have a freeze. I hope this guy has a warm place to roost.|Aska|AskaGuide|2007-4-4
Our Wrens love our live Mealworm feeder.|Aska|AskaGuide|2007-3-28
Returning from a bike ride, I surprised a pair of Eastern Bluebirds who appeared to be checking out one of our Bluebird houses in our Clematis trellis on the porch. I think those houses may be too close to our house for their comfort, but we shall see... |Aska|AskaGuide|2007-3-14
Downy Woodpeckers are so tame. I walked outside our front door to find a Downy eating holly berries from the Hollies only 10 feet from our front door. As I approached, it watched me, but kept feeding. It took flight only when I was within about four feet. I love Picoides pubescens.|Aska|AskaGuide|2007-3-11
The Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus Linnaeus), is a colorful resident of the Aska forests here in Southern Appalachia. I've only seen them on large, mainly hardwood trees. Not suggesting that your pecking pattern may be from them, but I am still in awe of the striking color these large woodpeckers flash in the forest.|Birdlady|2007-1-2
Posted a pic of interesting woodpecker pecking hole pattern.|Jacksonville FL| AskaGuide|2006-12-29
To see virtually thousands of images of Red-bellied Woodpeckers, just go to Google images. These images confirm my earlier sighting. |Aska|AskaGuide|2006-12-20
Male Red-bellied Woodpecker in our sunflower feeder this morning. Male has the distinctive red cap and nape. A stunning bird! The Woodpecker would swoop in (or undulate in, as Woodpecker's do) to our platform feeder from a tall maple at around 20 feet, snatch a seed, then back to the tree-clinging position to open and eat the seed. |Aska|AskaGuide|2006-12-19
Our babbling brook swamp in NJ had a Blue Heron visitation in November!|Southern NJ|CinnaBird|2006-11-23
Red-headed Woodpercker here feasting on Burning Bush berries. Melanerpes erythrocephalus?| whodat|2006-10-26
Birds that live in places where food is plentiful in the warm season and scarce in the cold season cope with the uneven supply in three different ways. One strategy is to migrate to warmer climates for the winter. Another is to stay and scrounge like chickadees. The third strategy is to store food like some North American woodpeckers, jays, and nuthatches.|Aska|BonnieBlue|2006-10-25
Make your backyard a haven for birds!| North Georgia| birdfeeder|2006-10-19
Pileated Woodpeckers always fascinate me| you know - Dryocopus pileatus. The Indians in these parts used their crests in calumets.| Aska| ColorofNature| 2006-10-17
Hummers gone to Central America with the recent frost.| Aska| Beverly|2006-10-15
Hummers still hanging around here too, and we are into October. Well the weather is warm again, but nights are cool. I wonder how they get through the nights in the 40s?|Aska|Molly|2006-10-5
Leaves are starting to turn colors (dogwoods have) in the Southern Appalachians, but we still have a few Hummers visiting our feeders and butterfly bushes. Also have Cardinals and even Rose Breasted Grosbeaks (male) visiting our platform sunflower feeder.|Aska|BonnieBlue|2006-9-29
So is the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.|Upstate NY|Jeff|2006-8-27
A great site for Georgia bird watchers is the Georgia Ornithological Society.|North Georgia|birdfeeder|2006-8-27
Indigo bunting in our thistle feeder today. The goldfinches have been unusually active feeders too. I read that the goldfinches nest this time of year in addition to Spring.|Aska|AskaGuide|2006-8-15
A yellow-throated warbler visited our butterfly bushes behind the cabin yesterday, Dendronica dominica. I found a web page with good pictures that helped confirm our first sighting of this pretty bird here.|Aska|AskaGuide|2006-8-1
A good Georgia bird watching site I stumbled upon here.|Aska|AskaGuide|2006-7-12
This morning at around 7:30 AM I passed two hen turkeys with a large brood of turkey chicks. The chicks were about 6 to 9 inches tall - still wearing some fuzzy feathers. They were crossing the road as I approached that particular curve in our community in my car. First time I have ever seen wild turkey chicks! |Aska|AskaGuide|2006-6-21
Our hummingbird visits seem sparse this year.|Western, NC|whodat|2006-6-17
There is interest in observing RTHUs migration patterns. You need to see Operation Ruby Throat.|WWW|CinnaBird|2006-5-20
The Ruby Throat hummers do not appear to be as plentiful here as they were last year!|Aska|AskaGuide|2006-5-17
Pileated Woodpeckers here have a distintive "cuk| cuk| cuk" call and loud drumming when pecking. I've seen one on a golf course in North FL too.|Aska|AskaGuide|2006-5-17
A pair of Downy Woodpeckers and Rosy Finches frequent our feeders in Southern NJ.|New Jersey|CinnaBird|2006-5-15
Have not seen the Grosbeaks in a few days. The flock of 10 or more birds (7 males and 3 females at max count) probably just stopped here to feed while in migration, as seems to be the pattern here for last few years.|Forest Has Eyes|BonnieBlue|2006-5-5
It is that time of year again when all of God's creatures get a touch of being "twitter pattered." I recently had a little red problem called a cardinal. He decided to make my home his home. The problem occurred when he say himself in the car window and thought it was another cardinal. These birds will literally knock themselves out trying to fight their reflection. My wife finally went and bought a fake owl and I set it out by the cars. I haven't seen the little red terror since.|Northern Neck area of VA|darkfins|2006-5-4
Two female hummers were fighting (buzzing each other aggressively) over a nectar feeder while we had dinner on our porch this evening.|Forest Has Eyes|BonnieBlue|2006-5-4
Six Rose Breasted Grosbeaks in our feeder! Four males and two females! A flock!|Forest Has Eyes|BonnieBlue|2006-4-27
I think I saw a Kentucky Warbler (Oporornis formosus) in a clump of ravine mountain laurel. He seemed to be singing for his mate.|Aska|BonnieBlue|2006-4-21
I was close up to a Pileated Woodpecker today - a male - 20 feet (close to me)!|Aska|BonnieBlue|2006-4-21
4 male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (Pheuctius ludovicianus) in our platform oil sunflower seed feeder today! They were arguing over control of the feeder.|Aska|BonnieBlue|2006-4-21
Cardinals are here too (been here all year)! They like our platform feeder and black oil sunflower seeds.|Aska|birdfeeder|2006-4-20
Ruby Throat hummers are now frequenting our feeders!|Aska|AskaGuide|2006-4-13
Bluebird (brilliant blue with peach breast and white underneath) interested in a nest box on a Clematis trellis on our front porch.|Aska|AskaGuide|2006-4-13
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