Whether flood, fire or other disaster enters your life, seeking out nature can be a tremendous comfort. I speak from experience, as I recently endured a house fire and had to relocate.
Nothing can prepare you for the upheaval that comes with having to leave your home and the "creature comforts" provided by the plants, birds and other wildlife of your residence, not to mention the added stress of dealing with insurance companies and contractors. Taking time to re-establish your link to nature, no matter where you might find yourself, can give you some sense of normalcy.
In my case, I was able to rescue some of my houseplants and relocated some of my bird feeders to my temporary housing. Tending to my plants has been very therapeutic and having some of my favorite feathered friends visiting my new home helped with the transition.
Sandhill Cranes and Canadian Geese
Our new location overlooking the Fox River also afforded me the opportunity to watch the territorial disputes of the resident Sandhill Cranes, Canadian Geese and Mute Swans as they battled on a small stretch of land for their nesting sites. Taking walks with my dogs and exploring the flora and fauna of my new neighborhood has brought a sense of peace and solace as well.
During a particularly trying week, I got in the car and drove to the shores of Lake Michigan and spent some quiet time on the beach. The soothing sound of the waves and the antics of the gulls along the shoreline was just what the doctor ordered.
Sunrise over the Fox River - Waterford WI
Despite numerous setbacks in the reconstruction process, I anxiously await the day when I can return to my carefully tended habitat, refill my feeders and enjoy the sunsets over the Tichigan Marsh again. In the meantime, I try to remind myself to stop each day and enjoy the beautiful sunrises over the Fox River in my current home and seek the peace of mind that comes with making a connection with nature.
If you would like information on having me come out to speak to your group or organization, please visit my website: Belinda Abendschein
Are you as tired as I am of the constant stream of politically-driven social media posts by friends and family? With so much negativity going around, no wonder everyone feels so helpless this election season.
Despite the uncertainty in our world, there is one thing I know for sure. Regardless of who wins the election, the leaves will still fall, and the birds will continue to migrate south. It is the never-ending cycle of this beautiful world, but we often forget to take the time to stop, observe and (most importantly) appreciate it!
Sugar Maple
Nature as Therapy
Instead of being consumed with social media, radio or television, try spending a few "quality" moments each day exploring nature. This simple form of meditation will put you in a positive frame of mind and provides a wonderful vantage point from which to view the blessings in your life.
Here are some great ideas to get you started:
Find a local nature trail and take a long, leisurely hike
Take a drive along a scenic back road and observe the brilliant colors of the trees
Sit outside on your deck or patio. Close your eyes and take in the smell of autumn leaves, while listening for the sounds of migrating birds
Get in a canoe or kayak and paddle a quiet river
Fill your bird feeders or add a suet feeder to your backyard and sit and watch the activity
Kayaking the Tichigan State Wildlife Area
Challenge yourself each day to look around you and be grateful. Take the time to find something beautiful to "share" with friends and family on social media.
You will be amazed at how quickly it will lift your spirits and make you realize what a wonderful planet we live on! NOTE: Don't forget to have a camera handy to capture these beautiful moments!
I am available for nature/birding presentations to your business, group or organization. For more info:Belinda's Website
While Perry Como may declare December "the most wonderful time of the year", the annual spring bird migration holds the exact same "magic" as Christmas morning did as a child.
I have often declared to friends and family that my idea of heaven would be the 1st week of May in Southeastern Wisconsin. The newly emerged foliage on the trees and shrubs glows a brilliant green, and the flowering crabapples and lilacs are in full, fragrant bloom.
Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird
This glorious time also heralds the return of my favorite migrating birds. I get a little giddy when I hear, but haven't yet caught a glimpse of a Baltimore Oriole. If my oranges aren't already out, I have been known to hop in the car and make a mad dash to the local grocery store to pick up a bag.
Equally as exciting is the first Ruby-throated hummingbird to visit my feeders. Yes, a 52-year old empty nester can still get as excited as a toddler seeing Santa Claus when the hummingbirds arrive!
American Goldfinch and Indigo Bunting
It happens all at once, and it is a joyous sensory overload. In addition to the orioles and hummingbirds, the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Indigo Buntings come through at the same time.
I make sure that my feeders are filled (finch, hummingbird and mixed seed) and sit back in awe as the American Goldfinch, Indigo Bunting and Northern Cardinal create a surreal living version of the primary color wheel. This marvelous display against the backdrop of brilliant, bright green, it is a feast for the eyes, as well as the ears.
Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak
I listen closely for any unfamiliar bird song, as it often belongs to a mystery wood warbler or Scarlet Tanager tucked into the woodlot behind our property. In order to capture these rare visitors, I make sure that my field guide and camera are always at the ready. All of the photos in this blog post are images captured in those magical moments of early May!
Nothing is quite as exciting as having a rare bird species visit your backyard. As I write this blog post, I am torn between continuing to type or investigate the "new" bird song I am hearing just outside the patio door.
It is most likely a wood warbler of some type, and they often only give me a brief opportunity to enjoy their company as they move further north to their nesting grounds.
Hoping that you are enjoying a magical migration in your neck of the woods!
I am available for birding presentations to your business, group or organization. For more info: Belinda's Website
Cedar Crest Retirement Community Janesville, WI 2015
As a young girl in middle school, I remember the terror that was speech class. I wasn't overly shy by any means, but the prospect of standing in front of the class and talking always put me in a panic. Never in a million years could I have pictured myself decades later as a wild bird speaker/presenter.
I guess I have to give some credit to my 10-year stint in a tv newsroom for easing my fears of public speaking. I was often tapped as an "extra" for news promos, and being around extroverted personalities certainly helped me gain confidence. I eventually realized that something was missing and left the newsroom to pursue my love of art and nature. I picked up a paint brush after many years and became an accomplished watercolor artist, specializing in bird and botanical paintings. I even had some of my bird illustrations published alongside those of John James Audubon in the book "Wings of Mercy". That was a personal highlight for me!
Unfortunately, we all know the plight of the "starving artist". Eventually financial constraints forced me to seek additional employment, which I happily found working in the lawn and garden industry. I worked for another decade as a sales representative, specializing in wild bird feeders and garden products.
"Birdscaping" Presentation at Waterford, WI Library 2014
Having enjoyed feeding the birds all the way back to my newsroom days, I eventually became quite knowlegeable in backyard birding...even offering to do presentations for some of my garden center customers. The first couple of times I stood before a group of people, I had butterflies in my stomach. Before long, my passion for birds overwhelmed my fears, and I was ready to fly!
I began to realize that I had knowledge that could help others become more successful in attracting birds, but more importantly, I had found my passion. Each time I finished a presentation, I felt a rush of energy and accomplishment that I got no where else, and a self-proclaimed "bird nerd" was born. I have done presentations at local home and garden shows, garden centers, garden clubs and recently led a garden walk at the The Boerner Botanical Gardens in Hales Corners, WI.
Garden Walk - Boerner Botanical Gardens Hales Corners, WI 2015
I am available to do presentations on backyard birding and "Birdscaping".
I have experience with all of the following:
- Garden Centers - Garden Clubs - Youth Groups - Senior Living Centers - Women's Clubs - Botanical Gardens - Public Library Education - Consumer Lawn & Garden Shows
I also have programs available on attracting orioles and hummingbirds and I can customize a Power Point presentation for your particular club, business organization. Click the link below for more information:
I have been actively feeding wild birds for most of my adult life. Living adjacent to the Tichigan Wildlife Area in Southeastern Wisconsin, I have enjoyed regular visits from all the resident woodpeckers, including several seasons with nesting Red-Headed Woodpeckers in my yard. Despite my successes, it is the largest of the woodpeckers, the Pileated, that continued to elude me.
Note: The Ivory-billed Woodpecker and the Imperial Woodpecker are/were larger than the Pileated. Both species were believed to have gone extinct in the 20th century. However, recent sightings of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in Arkansas and other remote swamp regions in the southern US indicate that a small breeding population may still exist of this magnificent species.
While my yard boasts plenty of mature oaks and other hardwood trees, the surrounding area simply does not include the 150-200 acres of forest territory that the Pileated requires. However, my 5-acre camp in Florence County, Wisconsin does have a large forest area adjacent to 75 acres of State-owned land and in close proximity to the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. The perfect habitat for Pileated Woodpeckers, our property hosts many dead trees displaying their woodcarving handiwork. Their raucous call/laugh is often heard while we are up there, and we often catch a glimpse of them flying from tree to tree. Unfortunately, keeping bird feeders both full and out of the hands of hungry bears when you are only up for a long weekend is next to impossible.
Pileated Tree Excavation
This year, I found myself with the entire month of January off. While not my first choice for making an extended visit, I knew that it would afford me the opportunity to place feeders (while the bears are sleeping) and make some observations of the hardy year-round bird population, including the Pileated Woodpecker.
Armed with two suet feeders and cakes, I was able to attract both Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers the first few days, as well as both White-Breasted and Red-Breasted Nuthatches. It was comical watching a particularly feisty female Downy take on a much larger male Hairy Woodpecker on a regular basis.
Hairy (left), Downy (right) Woodpeckers
By the second week, I still had not seen or heard the Pileated, despite the fact that a tree right outside my bedroom window looked to have been freshly excavated.
I was enjoying my quiet time in the woods, and became accustomed to the daily routine of the Black-capped Chickadees, woodpeckers, Blue Jays and occasional visits from an American Goldfinch and a small flock of Common Redpolls.
I had planned for different scenarios I might encounter while alone in a cabin with no running water. I had gas in the snowmobile, plenty of firewood and mace in case I encountered wolves while walking my dogs. I did not, however, prepare for serious illness. What started as a sore throat, soon developed into an abscess on the tonsil, and I found myself hospitalized in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. My winter retreat was to be cut short by about a week, and I was disappointed that I had not accomplished what I had set out to do.
While resting in my hospital bed the morning before I was to head home, my husband called from the cabin to say that a Pileated Woodpecker had been hanging around the property. Great! I couldn't believe that after almost two weeks, the cruel irony of my being in the hospital, with my camera back at the cabin was too much. But I got lucky!
Sometimes in life the good things are just worth waiting for, and this beautiful female Pileated Woodpecker did make a magnificent appearance the next morning, as we packed up my things to head back home. The video below is a compilation of still shots and video that I captured that beautiful winter morning!
Happy Birding!
I am available for birding presentations to your business, group or organization. For more info: Belinda's Website
I have been actively feeding wild birds for well over a quarter of a century, and one of my perennial favorites is the delightful Black-capped Chickadee. These year-round Wisconsin residents are one of seven chickadee species in North America.
Easily attracted to feeders with a variety of seeds and suets, the Black-capped Chickadee's quick movements often make them a tough target to shoot with a camera. The photo taken here is one of very few images I have of a Black-capped Chickadee that isn't just a blur of feathers.
Getting chickadees to utilize a nesting box takes a minimum of effort. A box with a 1-1/8" hole is large enough for chickadees, yet small enough to keep out the more aggressive House Sparrow. I have had the opportunity to witness the raising of several clutches of chickadees in the nesting box located right on my back deck. The amount of energy exerted by both of the parents in feeding their hungry nestlings is truly entertaining, and I am often exhausted just watching them. The number of insects that can be consumed in just a few minutes of observation is simply amazing.
Every season here in Southeastern Wisconsin I am guaranteed to see and hear these pint-sized favorites. In most cases, chickadees mate for life, with the male chickadee starting his breeding calls as early as mid January, as they start exploring nesting sites early. This sweet sound is very welcome during the cold, silent months of winter. Black-capped Chickadee Calls
Not only are these birds well suited for surviving harsh winters, but recent studies have shown that chickadees in northern climates actually have the ability to grow more brain cells during the cold months. This added brain power allows chickadees to find the stash of seeds they stored away prior to the beginning of winter. Chickadee brains in winter
Variety is the spice of life, and it should always be considered when feeding wild birds as well. In addition to traditional feeds like black oil sunflower, safflower, nyjer seed and quality mixes, suet can add a whole new dimension to your birding experience.
Suet is inexpensive to provide, and will bring a variety of birds that you may not be attracting with other feeders, including:
woodpeckers
nuthatches
wrens
warblers
creepers
Pine Warbler at Suet Feeder
Traditionally, suet is the fat from the kidneys and loins of beef. It can be offered raw, but is safe to use only when temperatures are cooler. In recent years, manufacturers have created rendered suet recipes that prevent melting and make it safe to use all year long in many climates.
That is where the variety comes into play. In addition to blends that offer a mix of seeds, there are suet mixes available that include a variety of different nuts, berries, citrus and even insects to attract more species of birds. The Pine Warbler (above) was a welcome surprise to my suet feeder and allowed me the opportunity to observe a bird that normally would not come near a traditional feeding station.
Like me, if you have a yard full of squirrels where a suet cake will last only a few days, try offering suet that is mixed with hot pepper. Unlike mammals, birds do not have the taste receptors to detect the capsaicin in peppers that makes them hot. The birds will love it, while squirrels and other mammalian pests will leave it alone.
Having issues with starlings at your suet feeder? Then switch to a feeder that has a "roof" over the top. Starlings do not like to feed upside down, and therefore, will be discouraged from a feeder that allows access only at the bottom.
Want to attract some of the larger species of woodpeckers? Then look for a suet feeder that has a tail prop to help support them while feeding. There are several varieties on the market that are environmentally friendly and made from 100% recycled plastic (below right), as well as sustainable bamboo.
Plastic Tail Prop Feeder
Downy Woodpecker
Want to blend in with your environment? Why not offer suet in the form of a log feeder (left). This provides the most natural setting for woodpeckers and other birds that routinely feed off of insects on dead or dying trees.
Manufacturers now offer suet to custom fit these log feeders in a variety of mixtures, including "hot pepper".
If you are not already offering suet, you need to do so today! Not only will it bring more birds, but will provide them with needed nutrition throughout the winter months.
Happy Birding!
I am available for birding presentations for your business, club or organization. For more information, visit my website at: Belinda's Website
