Moore: Wild bird migration can occur day, night
Wild bird migration can take on many forms. In the northern hemisphere, it typically involves moving from south to north in the spring, and then reversing the pattern in the fall.
Moore: Caching food for times of scarcity
As we move into autumn, we may recall childhood memories of attending a fall harvest event. The activity of harvesting is as old as existence. Whether human or bird, there is an innate — almost urgent — need to both harvest and store food.
Moore: Technology aids in bird identification
Birders in this modern age are blessed to have a lot of tools at our fingertips such as amazing optics and apps on our phones.
Moore: Birding adventures can occur anytime, anywhere
Earlier this month we drove to Provo, Utah, to attend graduation for our youngest son, Landon, from Brigham Young University. If you have ever been in a car with me, you know that time spent driving is time spent bird watching.
Moore: The birds, like summer are slowly slipping away
My column on hummingbirds last week resulted in a lot of feedback from readers.
Moore: Hummingbird wars
The month of August is peak season for hummingbirds in the Central Arizona Highlands. Migration activity is in full swing for several hummingbird species, including Anna’s, black-chinned, rufous, broad-tailed, calliope, and on rare occasions broad-billed and Costa’s.
Birding on the way to Sierra Vista
Birding
One of the perks of owning a backyard wild bird and nature gift store is the opportunity to attending birding and nature festivals as a vendor. I consider these opportunities as a “working vacation.”
Moore: Good optics makes for good birding
This past week I had the privilege of spending three days at the corporate offices of Vortex Optics in Barneveld, Wisconsin.
Moore: I spy a mystery bird!
On a regular basis, I receive emails requesting bird identification help. Sometimes these emails include an attachment with pictures.
Moore: Check your seed feeders for mold
Our abundant monsoon rains have been awesome! It is amazing how quickly everything greens up within just a few days of the first storm.
Moore: My idea for a bird watching reality TV show
Last week we made our annual trip to Provo, Utah, for the Fourth of July to visit children, grandchildren, and extended family.
Moore: Shrinking Lake, abundant birds
Birding
Each day I receive rare bird email alert notifications reporting rare bird sightings by fellow birders in Yavapai County.
Moore: New birding venue, new birds
Birding column
I was in Kansas City, Missouri, last week for training at Hallmark’s corporate offices. As you might imagine, I took my binoculars with me in anticipation of having some free time to squeeze in a little bird watching.
Moore: The importance of sharing rare and unusual bird sightings
The importance of sharing rare and unusual bird sightings This past week, we had a surprise visitor to our yard — a male northern cardinal.
Moore: Wild bird nesting behavior varies by species
This time of year, a topic frequently discussed at the Bird Barn is wild bird nesting behavior.
Moore: Bird watching experiences in the Pacific Northwest
This past week, my wife, Gayla, and I visited our son Merritt and his family in Renton, Washington.
Moore: Looking for birds and finding a bobcat
I managed to get out and do a little birding during the Memorial Day weekend.
Moore: A very birdy morning on Mingus Mountain
Ever since the Verde Valley Birding Festival almost a month ago, I have been itching to get back out birding.
Moore: Where did the name ‘Jay’s Bird Barn’ come from?
Several years ago, at a speaking engagement, when I was explaining — yet again — the origin of the name of my business, Jay’s Bird Barn, a smart aleck in the audience asked if all of my children had bird names.
Moore: Birding in the Little Thumb Butte area
Two weeks ago, I spent four days along the Verde River, where it runs through Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood.
Moore: A very birdy Verde birding festival
This past week was the annual Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood.
Moore: Cooper’s hawks prey on song birds
This past Sunday, as I was sitting out in my yard, I saw a Cooper’s hawk swoop into our bird-feeding area.
Moore: Nesting season is underway
In hiking different segments of the Prescott Circle Trail over the last few weeks, I have had several interesting bird sightings.
Moore: To keep birds visiting your yard, let insects thrive there
This past week I had several speaking engagements — at the Arizona Federation of Garden Clubs in Phoenix, the OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes) program at the Yavapai College campus in Prescott, and a Native Plant Workshop in Sedona.
Moore: Birding at Date Creek Ranch
This past week I led a Jay’s Bird Barn-sponsored bird walk to one of my favorite birding destinations in Arizona — Date Creek Ranch.
Moore: Drought creates lack of natural food sources for wild birds
This past week, the hummingbirds in my yard managed to drain the feeders in less than one week’s time.
Moore: Upcoming birding and nature events
The calendar shows that it is officially spring! This means it is time to prepare for spring migration.
Birding: Bird watching in Las Vegas
When you think of Las Vegas, bird watching may not be one of the first things that comes to mind.
Birding: Moores return to Prescott after completing birding adventure
Our last few days in Costa Rica involved more travel time and less birding.
Birding column: New habitats, new bird sightings
Leaving the central, high-elevation volcanic region of Costa Rica, we headed east over the Continental Divide and entered the Caribbean lowland habitat.
Birding: Bucket list birding in Costa Rica
The Jay’s Bird Barn/Prescott Audubon tour of Costa Rica began on Wednesday, Feb. 14, and I arrived two days earlier to do some birding on my own.
Birding: Change of pace, change of venue
Last week I wrote about my experience seeing a snowy owl in Odessa, Texas.
Birding: A cold and ‘snowy’ day in Texas
I usually divide our customers into two categories — those whom I affectionately refer to as ‘casual backyard birders,’ and those whom I call ‘field birders.’
Birding: Fun loving ravens are fun to watch
One of the most abundant bird species in the West is the common raven.
Birding: Hummingbirds can survive the winter
The winter storm we had this past weekend provoked a flurry of emails from customers concerned for the hummingbirds in their yards.
Birding: The bees are back
This week, I received an email from a customer with the following statement in the subject line, “The bees are back.”
Birding: Watering holes create a draw for wild birds
This past Saturday, I drove for almost two hours to reach my birding destination—a cattle tank in the Santa Maria Mountains, northwest of Prescott.
Birding: Rockport Texas Christmas bird count
Last week I wrote about my experience birding in the Granite Basin area as part of the Prescott Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count.
Birding: Good morning turns into a disappointing afternoon
Last week I participated in the Prescott Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count.
Birding: Speed birding — it’s a rush
Earlier this week, I took the Jay’s Birds Barn truck down to Mesa for service.
Birding: Recent bird activity in the yard
Over the last several months, I have been working on creating a new bird feeding area in my yard—moving it from the back to the front yard.
Birding: The importance of water in winter
As the weeks pass by, and our weather continues to be unseasonably warm and dry, I can’t help but think how much we need precipitation in any form—rain or snow.
Birding: Birding results from Gilbert Water Ranch
This past week I led a Jay’s Bird Barn sponsored field trip to Gilbert Water Ranch.
Recent nature sightings
This past Saturday I spent several hours doing yard work, and in the process saw bees, wasps and several species of butterflies.
Birding: Eastern birds and ‘our’ western birds
Greetings from the Town of Herndon, Virginia, located in Fairfax County. For the past week, Gayla and I have been visiting our son, Jeremy, and his little family as we welcomed granddaughter number three — Virginia.
Birding: Photo contest results
This past week we tallied the votes for our annual wild bird photo contest at all three store locations, and it was interesting to see the results.
Birding: Celebrating wild birds
On Tuesday of this week, I had a speaking engagement in Phoenix for the Arizona Federation of Garden Clubs at the Valley Garden Center, located less than a mile from the State Fairgrounds.
Birding: Rare visitor shows up in Flagstaff
Early Monday morning as I was driving to Flagstaff for work, I received a phone call making me aware of a rare bird sighting at Frances Short Pond in Flagstaff.
Birding: Light jacket weather means more food for the birds
Weather-wise, I think October is my favorite month of the year.
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