Warmer temperatures, budding flowers, wearing flip-flops. They’re all signs of spring’s arrival, but hearing birds chirping is one of my favorite indications of a new season unfolding. To help mark spring’s arrival, here are a few birds to keep an eye or an ear out for!

The Eastern Bluebird will appear in gardens and orchards slightly before or at the arrival of spring. These creatures are about 6 and a half inches long and can be attracted using dried fruit, chopped peanuts, or live mealworms. They enjoy being in meadows or fields surrounded by trees for adequate nesting.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is also a good sign spring is present, especially if you live in the northern United States. Adult males sport emerald green plumage on their backs with ruby red on their throats. They begin arriving to their spring and summer destinations in late March until mid May, as they follow flowers blooming northward. Because they are quite curious and inquisitive birds, they are easily drawn to feeders.

Canada and Wilson Warblers make their appearance between Mother’s Day and Memorial Day, with Yellow-rumped Warblers completing their migration a bit earlier. The latter is a sizable bird with a large head and a long, narrow tail. Varieties of Warblers include colorful plumage consisting of yellow, red, blue, black, gray, brown or orange!

The medium-sized songbird known as the Baltimore Oriole lives and breeds in open woodland areas or heavily wooded urban areas. With a length of 6.5-7 inches, the Baltimore Oriole can be attracted to your backyard feeders using oranges, nectars, or peanut butter.

All of the birds mentioned above make their presence known in the spring, but to ensure that you have a great backyard bird watching experience hang a variety of feeders to attract all types. Hanging feeders to accommodate seed-eating birds, hummingbirds, and orioles will bring an assortment of feathered friends to your yard.
 

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If you’re like me, you find a ton of joy in watching birds gather at your feeders. In the summer, it’s the hummingbirds. I love watching their territorial nature and the dive-bombing. In the fall and winter, it’s the finches and the cardinals that are especially enjoyable for me to watch. Their beauty can bring life to a dull day and add a pop of color to my yard. Squirrels, in my opinion, have found a way to make enjoying this scene nearly impossible.

Squirrel proofing bird feeders is extremely important because not only does it help the birds enjoy the feeders, but it helps you enjoy the birds! One of the easiest ways to squirrel-proof your feeder is to check its location. I like hanging my feeders on branches, but found it helpful to keep them at least 10 feet from the tree trunk and large limbs. Keeping them at least 4 feet above ground level has helped keep squirrels from jumping up to them as well!

If you’re more a fan of pole mounting your feeder purchase one that is at least 5.5 feet high, so that after you put the pole a foot into the ground you still have the feeder sitting higher than 4 feet off the ground.

Squirrel baffles are an easy deterrent for squirrels as well. You may want to try the Perky-Pet^® Squirrel Baffel and place it above or below the feeder to keep squirrels away. The baffles are domes that can be found in clear or a wide range of colors.  There are also special feeders you can purchase that are known to be squirrel proof, meaning that they are specially manufactured to prevent squirrels from being able to get the seeds from the feeder. This doesn’t mean they won’t try though, and could result in your birds not visiting when a squirrel is around.

Havahart^® Brand makes a great squirrel repellent called Critter Ridder^®. This can also be used on the ground near your feeder or sprayed on the branches above your feeder to keep the squirrels away.

Personally, using a baffle and locating the feeder correctly have done wonders for my feathered friends and me! It is much more pleasant to look out the window and watch birds feeding rather than squirrel acrobatics.

Have you gone to great lengths to keep squirrels from your birdseed? Share with readers below by posting a comment!

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With the holidays approaching you may be scrambling to get your bird enthusiast friends a gift they’ll love. Sure, a partridge in a pear tree or six geese a laying might brighten their holiday season, but we found 10 gifts that are affordable and guaranteed to please.

1. “Bird Watchers Digest” Subscription – For just $19.99 you can give your birding enthusiast a printed subscription to “Bird Watchers Digest” and get the online digital version for free!  Not only that, if you order online you can create a free e-Card to send to your birdwatcher notifying, them of the gifted subscription.

2. Nikon 10-22X50 Binoculars – Sometimes it isn’t what always meets the eye. Quick central focusing and sharp multicoated optics for superb contrast and vivid color come at a very fair price. For a double surprise, throw the Binocular Harness in their stocking! For $17.95 you won’t break the bank, and your loved one won’t suffer from sore shoulders!

3. Wingscapes Birdcam – They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but with this nifty tool you can’t put a number on it. The Audubon BirdCam uses “Smart Sensor” technology to detect an animal’s presence in your yard and snaps photos without getting a ton of empty frames.

4. Perky Pet® Hummingbird Feeder – Give your friends the Perky-Pet® “Our Best” Feeder for their bird watching amusement. Then gather around to watch the natural beauty of these tiny fliers as they flit around and dive bomb each other for food.

5. Eagle Creek Pack-It Sack – Keep maps, field guides, and gadgets by your side on a rainy day with the Eagle Creek Pack-It Sack. The waterproof Spill-resistant LinkSeal™ Mesh keeps your documents and techie tools dry.

Be sure to check back for the remaining top 5! You won't want to fly the coup without looking at these!

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