A Better Bird Feeder

Hi All,

It is summertime and the birds are out singing and chirping all around us.  Which got me thinking...'how do these birds eat?'  What do they eat and, 'could I help them to eat?'.  And that got me thinking about bird feeders and building them...and that was how I came to write todays' blog entry about building bird feeders.

So...clicking on this link will take you to a link from Lowe's about building a bird feeder.  The link includes a list of tools and materials needed for this project, as well as a 1 minute video.  Also included are step-by-step instructions how to complete the birdhouse.

This next link is from This Old House - and also explains how to build a bird house.  Again, a video is supplied for the readers interest.  The instructions from this link are a bit more comprehensive than the first one - but are still very, very helpful.

Readers can click on this link from Allcrafts.net in order to get 50+ free bird house and bird feeder woodcraft plans. Included in this plans are beginner bird houses, pole bird houses, nesting boxes, bluebird houses, plate and feeder bird bowls, box houses for sparrows, Oriole feeders and traditional birdhouses.

Click on this link - which will help you identify birds that you might come across in your backyard - or wherever you put the birdfeeder! (Link goes to a website which - appropriately enough - is called 'What Bird?'.)

Finally, on Tuesday, July 8th at 3pm the library is hosting a program entitled, 'Building a Better Bird Feeder'.  Program is for students entering grades 3-5 and online registration began on June 24th.  If you have kids or grandkids, this might be a great introduction to the joys of building birdhouses - and feeding birds!  Click here to learn more about the program we are offering at the library.

Enjoy the links! And enjoy seeing the birds.
Regards,
Stu

What Bird is That?

Hi All,

Fall is a great time of year to go bird watching on Long Island. Its one of the things that I've always wanted to do a bit more of - but, unfortunately - haven't been able to find the time to do.  However...when I do take a hike or a walk, I am much more aware of my bird surroundings now....

So, whether I'm walking on the newly constructed boardwalk in Long Beach or hiking a trail in Massapequa, I look up at the trees and see....birds.  Which is the topic of this blog post.

One of the many, many quality birding websites available on the web is called 'What Bird?'.  Click link to visit the site. And oh...what a site it is! 

Like many other websites What Bird? has a few tabs at the top of the page. Some of the more important tabs include 'Search', 'Browser', 'Expert', 'Forum' and 'Help'.

The 'Search' tab is a wonderfully intuitive way for users to discover 'What bird it is that they are looking for' by letting users sort through different birds by attribute groups.  Attribute groups enable the user to sift through scores of birds by various basic criteria like location, shape, size, prominent color, primary color, habitat, bill shape, bill lenght, wing shape, order, family, conservation status and song pattern (live!). 

Other attribute groups that users can search from include pattern, head, body, flight, illustrations and scientific name. Note that once the various attributes are specified, the results of the search appear at the top of the page.  Users have the option to viewing the bird results by text or by icons (thumbnail pictures of the birds).
The thumbnail pictures of the birds can be expanded so users can view a larger scale picture of the bird.  Along with a larger picture comes an overview/summary of the bird, information about the birds' range and habitat, a list of 'interesting facts' about the particular bird, a range map, and links to 'Similar Birds'.

At this point, users can scroll to the top of the page where they can more information from tabs entitled, 'Species Overview', 'Identification', 'Behavior' and 'Portrait'. 

The previously mentioned identification tab has comprehensive information about the body of the bird: specifically the length of the bird, weight, size, primary color, under/upperparts, back pattern, belly pattern and breast pattern. There is also a comprehensive information about the head of the bird: specifically the bill shape, eye color, head pattern, crown color, forehead color, nape/throat/cere color as well.

The previously mentioned behavior tab has comprehensive information about each birds' breeding/nesting characteristics, foraging/feeding habits and vocalization information. 

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WhatBird also has a tab on the homepage where users can enter a forum and either read or partake in comprehensive and detailed discussions with other birding enthusiasts.  Forums are free and include topics as varied as 'Help Me Identify a Bird', 'Birds and Birding', 'Backyard Birds, Feeders, Food'. Other topics in the forum section include, 'Articles on Birding', 'Comments on Specific Birds'.

Because of the comprehensive nature of WhatBird and the ease with which a user can navigate through the site, readers and users can appreciate why I think this is a good quality, easy-to-use birding website.

Enjoy your birding and the website.

Regards,
Stu

More Birding

Hi All,

I did a birding post on November 2nd and since then it has been one of the best viewed blog entries! Go figure - who knew that birding was such a hot topic among my blog readers?

Well, I am very glad to find a topic that I was able to tap into - and which my readers find interesting! Onward and upward!

Here is another entry on birding. Specifically this entry is about the various organizations and groups on Long Island dedicated to birding. There are quite a few of them, so birding enthusiasts have plenty of choices!

Click here for a site called LIBirds.com. On the homepage of the site you'll find links to Sightings, Seasonal Spots, Backyard, Photo Page (don't miss this - great pictures of birds!), Bird ID, Featured Bird and Links. For those who are interested in the Audubon society, the Links page has a list - and links - to local Audubon chapters! Very helpful!

Click on this link for a page on About.com called 'Bird Watching on Long Island'. There are 9 different links on the page that discuss bird watching. Locations as varied as Garvies Point Preserve, Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center, Garden City Bird Sanctuary and the Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge are mentioned.

Blog readers who are out in the field and who are looking at birds and want to identify them should click on this link called Whatbird.com. On the site you can identify birds by location, shape, size, primary color, secondary color, habitat, bill shape, bill length, wing shape, conservation status, song patter (amazing) and more....great stuff. Don't miss Whatbird.com!

Finally, click on this link from Audubon.com - the link is to a subsite on the Audubon entitled 'Birds'. You can find more information on birds, including bird profiles, a link to state of the birds, important bird areas and a link to the Great Backyard Bird Count. Neat stuff...

FYI, if you do a Google search for the term 'birding' you'll find over 16 million hits...ack. If you do a Google search for the term 'birding long island', you'll find just under 1.3 million hits...ack again.

Enjoy the links and the birds - its a great time of year to view them!
Stu