bird nerd
67 and counting! One of my favorite things about our land are all the different birds that come for a visit. As our gardens have grown, so has our bird population. Sightings of birds like Indigo Buntings, that used to be rare at best, now come like clockwork. So far in total, I’ve been able to document 67 different species that have visited our woods. Can’t wait to discover who #68 will be! Below are just a few of our favorite visitors.
American goldfinch
Encourage goldfinch to flock to your yard by planting thistle, evening primrose and milkweed. They’re also big fans of visiting bird feeders, especially when there’s black-oil sunflower seeds.
northern cardinal
We’ve had a family of cardinals that stays with us all year round. Whether at the feeder or on the ground, they love noshing on sunflower seeds, cracked corn, millet and peanuts.
Tufted titmouse
We have lots and lots of these pretties around our woods. A frequent visitor to the feeder, they love to perch and nibble on sunflower seeds and peanuts.
black-capped chickadee
Our state bird of Maine, this fetching cutie makes itself know by its trademark call “chick-a-dee-dee-dee”. Attract breeding pairs to call your place home by putting up nesting boxes filled with saw dust or wood shavings.
house finch
One of the things I love about House Finch, is that when they find they enjoy visiting your feeder, they make sure to tell all their friends, and before you know it, there are dozens of these cheerful birds bopping about.
white-breasted nuthatch
When not perched upside down on a tree trunk, these sparrow-sized birds come to the feeder at a swift dart. We watch them come, steal a sunflower seed or two and then dash up to an old, decaying tree and tuck the seeds into the bark, storing away for colder days.
purple finch
It sometimes takes a careful eye to differentiate between the Purple and House finch, but once you see that hint of magenta glow, you’ll know. They love conifers, so hang up a feeder full of black-oil sunflower seeds and you’ll make quick friends.
indigo bunting
A visit from these favorites makes my day.. Fun fact, their actually not blue at all. Rather, light diffracts off their black feathers giving the illusion of that gorgeous blue. They’re wonderful to have by the garden, especially because they love nibbling on both pests and weeds.
chestnut-sided warbler
It’s crazy to think that this beautiful, little one migrates up to Maine all the way from Central America to makes its nest each year in our forsythia bushes.
wild turkey
As soon as the snow flies, we get daily visits by flocks of these majestic creatures. In search of nuts and berries, they’d be thrilled to pay you a visit if you scatter some birdseed about.
rose-breasted grosbeak
One of the most exciting days each Spring is when this beauty returns to our feeders. Their song is one of the prettiest you’ll ever hear, so put out some sunflower seeds and sit back and listen.
chipping sparrow
Making their home throughout our garden are these delightful little sparrows. Nothing beats weeding to their sing song trills that come from their nests in our boxwood hedge.
lincoln’s sparrow
Spotting this one takes some time as it can quickly conceal itself, with rare pops up to trellises and arbors. It makes it’s home in brush piles, so there’s a great reason not to rake.
cedar waxwing
I felt like I won the lottery the first time I spotted one of these gorgeous birds. Fruit lovers, you can attract them by planting native fruiting shrubs like juniper and winterberry.
american woodcock
This sighting was probably one of my absolute favorites as these cryptic creatures are quick hard to spot because they camouflage into the leaves so well. One of the most magical sights is their evening flight displays in the springtime.