bird

By Terry W. Johnson

By Terry W. Johnson

By Terry W. Johnson

If you are a homeowner, you know there are many tasks you need to complete before winter. These jobs range from raking leaves to splitting and stacking wood, checking the insulation around your doors and windows, planting wildflower seeds, winterizing faucets, and, well, you name it.

NOTICE: The rescheduled CBC date is Jan. 12, 2019 at 8:30 a.m.

Traditional Christmas Bird Counts (CBC) feature 8-hour days and lots of driving. This Youth CBC is specifically for kids. There is no driving, and the count lasts just 2.5 hours. Teams of kids ages 8–16 will be led by experienced birders as they search the fields and forests of the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center for birds. After lunch, kids can present their findings and we will have a birds of prey presentation.

Come take a trek of discovery along Georgia's Southern Rivers Birding Trail. The trail winds its way from the rolling hills of the Georgia Piedmont on the north southward across the broad expanse of the Coastal Plain before curling eastward and eventually terminating in the Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth. 

Coastal Georgia is steeped in human and natural history. Since the first human inhabitants colonized the coast, man and the abundant natural resources found here have been inexorably linked. A visit to one or more sites along the Colonial Coast Birding Trail will provide you with the opportunity to see and enjoy the beauty of a kaleidoscope of birds and glimpse the fascinating history of this land and its residents.

By Terry W. Johnson

The tradition of sending Christmas cards is said to have begun in England in 1843. Since Christmas cards began being printed in the United States during the 1870s, cards have been graced with a veritable flock of birds. However, beyond a shadow of a doubt the bird that has graced more Christmas cards than any other is the northern cardinal.

By Terry W. Johnson

Recently, on a cool April morning I stepped out onto my deck and was greeted with a chorus of bird songs. I heard the songs of some of the birds that are familiar year-round residents in my neighborhood –the northern cardinal, Carolina wren, chipping sparrow, northern mockingbird, pine warbler and eastern towhee. Then suddenly I heard a call that I had not heard this year. From the back of my 3-acre lot came a loud wheep. I knew immediately the great crested flycatcher was back.

The DNR Wildlife Conservation Section is part of a regional project exploring migration routes and habitat use of golden eagles in the eastern U.S.

By Terry W. Johnson

While most of us are trying to reduce the amount of fat in our diets, many of our backyard bird neighbors relish bird-feeder offerings laden with animal fats. Birds will eat the fat of cattle, hogs and other animals. However, the fatty food most commonly fed backyard birds is beef fat also known as suet.