Water, Water Everywhere

I'm fortunate in that while I live in a moderate desert climate, the Provo River, Utah Lake, and Great Salt Lake are nearby and draw in millions of birds of hundreds of different species that I can observe quite easily. In the next week, I'm traveling to even better water attractors -- the Great Lakes region -- where I hope to do some magnificent eastern birding that will be just as exciting as the birds I find here at home. When I return, I will undoubtedly have updates for my life list as well as stories and photos about the birding life in the Midwest.

This leads, however, to the June poll on water. Summer is a thirsty season for birds, especially with Utah County temperatures regularly reaching 90 degrees, and my concrete birdbath can dry out in the course of a day if I don't refill it regularly. I'm happy to do so, of course (and a neighbor will be keeping an eye on it while I'm away), but I can't wait to add more water features to the yard as part of my bird sanctuary landscaping. Birds love water, and as wiser birders than I have mentioned, not all birds will eat seed or nest in birdhouses, but they all need water. In a recent poll on improving your backyard, water features were the top response for landscaping wish lists, so now I'm curious: what types of water features would you like to add to your backyard?

Personally, my plans are for a small waterfall with appropriate basins for birds to bathe and drink. I don't want the upkeep of a large pond, but I wouldn't mind adding a few more birdbaths as well, though they can be a hassle to keep clean and filled. What water would you like to see in your backyard? Vote in the poll today!

It's easy to attract birds to your yard with water: learn how!

Marching On With a New Poll

Last month's poll, "How many feeders are in your backyard?" was the most popular yet, with more than 20 votes. Nearly one third of readers have 3-5 feeders in their yard, which can be a delightful feeding station for backyard birds. I envy the three participants with more than 10 feeders -- what a wonderful diversity of choices for the birds! As for the three voters with none, spring is a great time to add a new feeder, so pick up a small one and try it out! I will be adding more feeders in the next few weeks and swapping out my junkier winter feeders for larger spring and summer models that can hold more seed and offer more ports for birds to choose from. What will you be doing to be sure your birds have a grand buffet?

This month's poll is also close to my heart and to my backyard. If money, time, and effort were no barriers, what one thing would you most want to change about your backyard? Eventually, I will do it all through the different landscaping projects we have planned, but this year's focus is to reduce the grass, thereby prepping the flowerbed areas and borders for more plants (or any plants, rather) that will attract the birds. There may be a little planting as well, but likely nothing major this year. What about you? Vote today!

New Month, New Birds, New Poll

What a wonderful weekend for birding in southern Utah; I've now added 16 new species to my life list, for a total of 69 different birds that I can definitively say I've been privileged to observe. The new arrivals are:

• Hooded Merganser
• Great Blue Heron
• American Wigeon
• Wood Duck
• Ruddy Duck
• Black Crowned Night Heron
• Canvasback
• Common Raven
• Greater Roadrunner
• Red Tailed Hawk
• Pied Billed Grebe
• Burrowing Owl
• Prairie Falcon
• Wilson's Snipe
• Abert's Towhee
• Bald Eagle

Many of these species I've actually observed before, but not been able to spot enough of their unique characteristics for a sure and confident identification -- though the wood ducks were by far the easiest to identify due to their bright colors and distinctive markings. I also saw many species already on my list, including mourning doves, lesser goldfinches, mallards, mute swans, Eurasian collared doves, American robins, white crowned sparrows, golden eagles, and more. It was a true treat to spend the weekend in the field, and I can't recommend such an experience highly enough for any birder. I will share more thoughts on the St. George Winter Bird Festival later this week.

As it is now a new month, it is also time for a new poll. The January poll results proved that the majority of birders who visit here prefer to birdwatch in their own backyard, so this month let's see what number of feeders is most common. I have six feeders currently filled, though I'll have eight or more in the summer months. What about your backyard feeding stations? Share your totals in the poll or the comments!

November Poll - Life Lists

The October poll -- "What type of feeder(s) do you use?" -- has closed, and the results are in. The most popular feeder used by Backyard Birds Utah visitors is a tube feeder (83 percent), followed by a nectar feeder (66 percent). These are not surprising statistics, as tube feeders attract goldfinches and other small songbirds while nectar feeders are used primarily for hummingbirds and occasionally for orioles. All of these bird species are extremely colorful and attractive, making them some of the most coveted backyard visitors.

November's poll is about life lists, as in, how many birds are currently on your list? Not all birders keep a tally of the species they have seen, and it is something I have only recently begun to track myself. While I've seen dozens more than the 44 birds that are currently on my list, I am very meticulous about being positive of my identification before adding another bird to the total. How about you? Start counting, and vote today! For those of you with exceptional lists (or anyone interested in sharing), comments are always welcome!

October Poll Reminder

Just a quick reminder, there are only three days left to vote in the October poll -- What feeder(s) do you use?

• Hopper: A feeder with a reservoir that feeds into a tray.
• Platform: Easy tray that can hold all types of seed and scraps.
• Ground: It can't get easier than tossing seed on the ground, and the California quail love it.
• Nectar: Liquid feeders for hummingbirds, orioles, and hopeful house finches.
• Suet: Log, bag, or cage feeders with suet cakes.
• Tube: Narrow feeder for finches.
• Dish: Perfect for peanuts - or so my western scrub jays would tell you.

Personally, I use several types of feeders -- the only one I don't use, in fact, is a suet feeder. I did at one time, until the suet went rancid without ever having tempted a single bird. My urban backyard is not the best place for woodpeckers and other suet fans, at least not yet. Perhaps after the trees mature a bit and more birds learn of the buffet I offer, a suet feeder will be more welcome. What feeders do you use? Vote today!