Red-shouldered Hawk

The adult Red-shouldered Hawk can be identified by 3 white stripes on the tail and a white breast interspersed with tan barring.

It has a habit of flying low through wooded areas in search of prey, and perches on fences and low branches. 

It is a very vocal hawk. If you hear a lot of screeching, but can’t make out the markings, it’s likely to be a red-shouldered hawk.

Phoebe’s Unusual Call

One of the heralds of spring in my North Carolina backyard is the call of the Phoebe. This bird calls its name, “fee bee.” Once the call is identified, it’s easy to recognize.

An interesting fact is that the male Phoebe stops vocalizing once his nest is built. That means the little bird in my yard is desperately trying to attract a mate, and will, hopefully for him, fall silent soon.

It is a petite gray and white bird with a dark head. There’s a rounded point towards the back of the head, and he twitches his tail frequently. (Please forgive the shaky video. The point is to hear the distinctive "fee-bee" call.)

Carolina Wren Nests in Milk Jug

I cut out plastic milk jugs to carry garden produce. I had a couple of jugs stored on a shelf in an open greenhouse shed.  We went away for 3 days in early April, and came back to find a nest with eggs in one of the jugs.

The photograph shows two chicks and an egg pushed towards the front of the nest.