Birds Archives - Heartland Safari

A grey-and-chestnut songbird perches in a diamond shaped opening in a chain link fence. Careful composition, placing the green background in soft focus, creates a portrait of wildlife successfully adapting to life in proximity with humans. Images such as this don’t happen by accident. They result from preparation, patience and opportunity. Heartland Safari salutes the photographers who create these gems and make them available for us to enjoy.

Surveying the Soundscape: Chipping Sparrow

Updated April 24, 2026

For the past three years or so, I’ve been using the Merlin app to survey the birds on Owl Acres. I’ve sampled them in early morning most every day from March 1 into June. It’s been fascinating to find out which birds have stayed over the winter, which have moved in over the winter, and […]

Birds

Mottled grey, white, brown and black songbird crouches menacingly on a weathered board. Eurasian Tree Sparow sports a black bib similar to (and easily confused with) its cousin English Sparrow. We can’t tell the difference, but Merlin Bird ID to the rescue.

Benign Invader: Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Updated April 6, 2026

I think we’ve all heard the story of rabbits in Australia—how they were introduced on purpose because the Europeans who settled there thought it was a good thing to diversify the fauna in this new land. And then they discovered that rabbits were breeding like—well like rabbits—and eating all the grass. Somebody got the brilliant […]

Birds

In this “Only a Mother Could Love” view, a ragged-looking Spotted Towhee is pictured in molt. Most of his fluffy head feathers have been shed and he’s a sorry sight. This normal process will have the songbird re-feathered in a few days.

March Migrator: Spotted Towhee

Updated March 29, 2026

A spotted towhee (Pipilo maculate) is visiting Owl Acres. Perhaps he got blown off course due to all the wind we’ve been having, or maybe he’s on his way to the arroyos and canyons of the desert southwest, or the mountains of the Rockies after a vacation in the south. Spotted towhees range from Western […]

Birds

View looking up at a handsome green and yellow songbird singing from a twig. Yellow warbler

Mutual Defense Pact: Yellow Warblers

Updated March 15, 2026

It’s the middle of March, and all the yellow warblers (Setophaga petechia) are in Mexico or the Caribbean for the winter. Some of them will stay there throughout the year, nesting in the mangroves. Others will populate the mangrove swamps in Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America during the winter but make the trek from […]

Birds

A brown creeper displays its remarkable camouflage as it clings to the flaky bark of a tree. The little bird is almost invisible even in this close-up photo.

Hiding in Plain Sight: Brown Creeper

Updated February 19, 2026

The brown creeper (Certhia americana) is one of the birds that frequent Owl Acres occasionally. Last spring I captured the song of one on my Merlin app. Although I haven’t been monitoring the birds this winter, it is likely that out in the woods, a brown creeper will set up housekeeping. Camouflage is one of […]

Birds

The house-style birdseed feeder hangs from a shepherd’s hook on a cold day. The world is stark white after yesterday’s snow. A mixed flock of juncos, cardinals, finches, sparrows, chickadees and a few others forage on the ground while a few more kick out seeds from the tray above.

Who’s Who?: Sparrows vs. Finches

Updated December 14, 2025

There’s snow on the ground and more coming, and the temps have dropped below zero. A mixed flock of birds comes and goes at the bird feeder as we watch through the study window. When blue jays or cardinals appear, the little birds all disappear. When the bigger birds have had their fill, the flock of […]

Birds

A small songbird is pictured from behind and above, in flight with wings fully outstretched. Vivid, iridescent blue light shines from every feather. As the bird is in flight, this is an instant shot that can only be captured with a camera, by a committed and patient photographer. Please enjoy this moment with our Eastern Bluebird.

Eastern Bluebird

Updated October 19, 2025

One day in late September, I heard a bird that was new to my soundscape. Its song reminded me of a scolding chatter followed by an upward-trending whistle. It’s not mating season, so this call undoubtedly meant something else. It was an Eastern bluebird on migration to somewhere warmer. It stayed for a day or […]

Birds

Little grey-brown bird peeks out from a nest box. Northern House Wren displays a sharp beak and bright, clear eye.

Fierce Defender: Northern House Wren

Updated July 27, 2025

One of the best things about spring and summer is waking up to the morning chorus. Since I’ve been paying close attention, I’m even getting better at identifying its members. I still have a long way to go, but one loud and persistent singer has my attention this summer. It’s the northern house wren, (Troglodytes […]

Birds

A female cardinal rests in Karen’s hand, victim of a lethal encounter with a window.

Lethal Hazard: Window Glass

Updated June 29, 2025

Have you ever watched a bird crash into your window? It’s heartbreaking to see it happen. There’s that thunk against the glass, and then the bird falls to the ground. Maybe it gets up again and flies away, and maybe it doesn’t. 60% of the birds that survive the collision die from it sooner or […]

Birds

A little grey songbird perches atop a bare twig. Eastern Wood Pewee waits to sally forth on its next mission to snag dinner-on-the-wing.

Flycatcher: Eastern Wood Pewee

Updated June 29, 2025

On May 14, 2025, a little olive-gray bird with a big voice joined the chorus on Owl Acres. It’s a voice that’s relatively easy to identify. It features a clear, bright, sliding whistle. It slides down and then up sounding like “pee’a’wee.” He’ll sing to us all summer while he guards his territory, and courts […]

Birds