Bird Watching
With everyone spending more time at home, you might want to take up a new activity that can be done right from your backyard.
“This is really the peak season for bird watchers, or birders as some people call them, because spring migration is going on,” said avid bird watcher, Jeff Reiter.
One of those migrating birds are warblers. You’ll be able to catch a glimpse of them up in the trees as they usually don’t come near bird feeders.
And to do that, you’ll need a couple of items to help you out.
“One of the beautiful things about bird watching I think is it’s so simple and you really just need two things: a decent pair of binoculars and a bird book to help identify the birds. And nowadays you don’t even really need a book, you can do it all on your phone,” said Reiter.
Keeping track of the birds he spots is one of the fun aspects of bird watching for Reiter, and believes this is a great way to introduce kids to nature.
Backyard Birds
For a close up look at the colorful creatures, be sure to fill up your bird feeder with black oil sunflower seeds.
“You will have activity at that feeder 12 months out of the year, guaranteed,” said Reiter. “The cardinals will love it, the chickadees, different kinds of sparrows.”
The rose-breasted grosbeak, American gold flinch, and Baltimore oriole – who actually has a fondness for fresh oranges and grape jelly – are some other common backyard birds.
Reiter recommends keeping feeders around 12 feet away from trees and bushes to avoid squirrels and 20 feet from your home.
The best time to see these flying fellows is early in the day.
Naperville News 17’s Aysha Ashley Househ reports.
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