The Backyard and Beyond

2019 Bird House Photography Contest Results

The results are in!  Thank you to everyone who submitted pictures into this years contest.  The submissions were fantastic and it was difficult to pick winners.  Thank you to our judges Laurie Dirkx, Aaron Winters and Dr. Richard Horsey for coming out to the store to judge. Judge Selections Here are the contest winners, as […]

The Bird House 2019 Photo Contest

The 2019 Bird House Photography Contest has begun! Enter your photos now for a chance to win. Submission Dates:  September 1st – 30th , 2019 Judging: During week of October 1, 2019 Customers’ Choice Voting: October 1st– 7th, 2019 Winners announced October 8th, 2019 Categories: Birds Wildlife (other than birds) Scenery Pet- new category this […]

It’s Bluebird Time!

The Eastern bluebird is the state bird of New York, yet many people have never seen one in their yard.  This is mostly due to the fact that bluebirds prefer an open habitat such as meadows, fields and even golf courses.  The tall grasses of fields and meadows are a haven for insects, their preferred […]

It’s Winter Finch Time!

It’s the time of year to be on the lookout for winter finches!  According to the 2018-2019 Winter Finch Forecast, this should be a great year for birdwatching at your feeders! Every year, once the weather turns, birds like dark-eyed juncos and pine siskins come back into town and are more frequently seen at feeders.  Goldfinches […]

2018 Bird House Photography Contest Results

The results are in!  Thank you to everyone who submitted pictures into this years contest.  The submissions were fantastic and it was difficult to pick winners.  Thank you to our judges Nic Minetor, Zaphir Shamma, and Dave Beadling for coming out to the store to judge. Judge Selections Here are the contest winners, as selected […]

Which seed mix should I buy?

Here at The Bird House, many customers ask us which of our seed mixes should they purchase.  Well, the best mix depends upon which birds you would like to see at your feeders and your budget.  I’ve detailed our 7 mixes below in order of most to least expensive, with a picture of the blend, […]

Snowy Owl Irruption

This winter will be an irruption year for snowy owls.  An irruption is a large influx of an animal that normally may not be in the area.  Snowy Owls migrate  south from the Arctic Tundra to spend the winter here.  Already there have been sightings of them in our area around the lake shore. Snowy […]

Where Have All My Birds Gone?

Over the past few weeks we have consistently been getting the same question: Why are there no birds at my feeders?  Although a drop-off of bird activity at feeders is normal this time of year, this year it has been more extreme than in the past. The drop-off is not because birds have left the […]