Becoming familiar with grouping habits. With a wingspan of up to 8 feet, and up to 36 inches in body length, the golden eagle is rarely seen in our region. Migration is the best time to catch a glimpse of this storied bird. Whether it's crab cakes or barbecue with guava chutney,warblers or hawks, a good hike or a short ride, shopping or beach combing, the Eastern Shore Birding Festival has something for every birder. Since winter weather is upon us, here are a few helpful tips for ensuring an enjoyable snowbound experience for you and the birds that share your backyard.
Shelter is good .
If you can find a snow-free patch of ground beneath a porch, dense evergreen, or other environment, scatter seed there. Bare earth is essential to ground-feeding species like robins. Once I enjoyed a close-up view of a quail that had decided to seek shelter beneath my deck and could not be moved. I thought something was wrong with the bird, went outside to check on it, and realized it was fine when it disappeared stealthily behind the only cover available, a large stump I had set out to be split for firewood. When the snow left, so did the quail.