Bird Watcher's General Store

Mike O'Connor, owner of Bird Watcher's General Store, writes the popular article, Ask the Bird Folks, for The Cape Codder newspaper. Every week Mike tries to answer some of life's most challenging questions. You know, bird questions.
Read through recent or past articles below, consisting of questions asked by readers and real people like you, and maybe you'll learn enough about birds to write your own article. Or better yet, blast us a question that has been eating at you for years and we will definitely answer it for you....maybe.
Also popular are the bird illustrations which have accompanied Ask the Bird Folks for 7 years by artist Catherine E. Clark, aka, "Clarkie." Her drawings can be found hanging on refrigerator doors throughout the country.

Check out Clarkie's other artwork at www.CatherineClarkStudio.com

Molting Birds Look Bizarre - 08/29/08
Hummingbird Low Down - 08/22/08	Quail Family Dynamics - 08/15/08
Nesting Mourning Doves - 08/08/08	Goldfinches & Flowers - 08/01/08
Herring Gulls & Dumps - 07/25/08	Herring Gull Life - 07/18/08
Keep off Grackles - 07/11/08	Summer-Safe Suet - 07/04/08
Common Yellowthroats - 06/27/08	Catbird Nesting Behavior - 06/20/08
Eagles Nesting - 06/13/08	Check Nest Boxes - 06/06/08
Female Grosbeaks - 05/30/08	Woodcock Families - 05/23/08
Nesting Materials - 05/16/08	Tern Update - 05/09/08
Blue Jay Nesting Habits - 05/02/08	Titmouse Behavior - 04/25/08
Common Swifts Don't Land - 04/18/08	Hairy Woodpecker Bobs & Weaves - 04/11/08
Oystercatchers - 04/04/08	Rare Fossil Find on Cape Cod - 03/28/08
Spring Things To Do - 03/21/08	Woodpecker Bully - 03/14/08
Owls Hit By Cars - 03/07/08	Roseate Spoonbills - 02/29/08
Keeping a Life List - 02/22/08	Mockingbirds' Calls - 02/15/08
Ptarmigans - 02/08/08	Kuckaburras - 02/01/08
Mascovy Ducks - 01/25/08	Bittersweet - Real vs. Imitation - 01/18/08
Orange-Crowned Warblers - 01/11/08	Yellow-Breasted Chats - 01/04/08
Avocets - 12/28/07	That Quail, Robert - 12/21/07
Albatross Take-Offs - 12/14/07	Millet Seed Popular - 12/07/07
Birdhouse Building - 11/30/07	Birds' Eyesight - 11/23/07
Bird's Nest Soup - 11/16/07	Passenger Pigeons Part 2 - 11/09/07
No Passenger Pigeons - 11/02/07	Bird Phobias - 10/26/07
Sandhills Nest in MA - 10/19/07	Dead Eiders - 10/12/07
Some Ducks Molt - 10/05/07	Owl Hooting Behavior - 09/28/07
Cats Kill Songbirds - 09/21/07	Cuckoo Nesting Behavior - 09/14/07
Hawk Dietary Habits - 09/07/07	Drinking Water - 08/31/07
Bobwhite Quail Families - 08/24/07	Homing Pigeons Get Lost - 08/17/07
Feeding Habits Vary - 08/10/07	Seabirds Migrate - 08/04/07
Birds & Power Lines - 07/27/07	South American Migration- 07/20/07
Black-bellied Plovers - 07/13/07	Snakes Raid Nests - 07/08/07
Enjoy Bird Feeding - 06/29/07	Some Birds Nest Twice - 06/22/07
Finches Love Nectar - 06/15/07	Birds Need Dead Trees - 06/08/07
Imprinting - 06/01/07	Osprey Platforms - 05/25/07
Bird Pee - 05/18/07	How Hummers Navigate - 05/11/07
Screech Owl Habits - 05/04/07	Attract Birds Without Seed - 04/27/07
Rising Seed Prices - 04/20/07	Red-crested Cardinal - 04/13/07
How Many Birds? - 04/06/07	Rheas of Cape Cod - 03/30/07
Leg Bands - 03/23/07	Same Birds, New Names - 03/16/07
Pretty Feeder Kills Bird - 03/09/07	Shoveler Bills - 03/02/07
Geese In a "V" - 02/23/07	Winter Wrens - 02/16/07
Suddenly Silent Birds - 02/09/07	Why No Goldfinches Now? - 02/02/07
Sapsuckers Make Orderly Holes - 01/26/07	Pelicans or Gannets? - 01/19/07
A Stuffed Gull - 01/12/07	Rough-Legged Hawks - 01/05/07
End of Year - 12/29/06	Turtle Doves - 12/22/06
Lapland Longspurs - 12/15/06	Stop Woodpecker Pecking - 12/08/06
Why Woodpeckers Peck - 12/01/06	Crows & Grackles - 11/24/06
Foxes Hide Eggs - 11/17/06	Loons in England - 11/10/06
New Feeder Blues - 11/03/06	Birds Expel Salt - 10/27/06
Highest Flying Bird - 10/20/06	Birds or Sheep, You Decide - 10/13/06
Last to Migrate - 10/06/06	Grit in Seed - 09/29/06
Yellow-headed Blackbird - 09/22/06	Great Egret or White Heron - 09/15/06
Mate Feeding - 09/08/06	Why Hawks Screech - 09/01/06
Black-Crowned Night-Heron ID - 08/25/06	Mosquitos & Birdbaths - 08/18/06
Anting with Mothballs - 08/11/06	Piping Plovers - 08/04/06
Friendly Gray Jays - 07/28/06	Gulls Are Omnivorous - 07/21/06
Flycatchers Are Cool - 07/14/06	Screamin' Peacocks - 07/07/06
Whale Watch & See Pelagics - 06/30/06	The Lonesome Dove - 06/23/06
Begging Bluebirds - 06/16/06	Finches Return to Same Nesting Site? - 06/09/06
Oriole Nesting Behavior - 06/02/06	Burrowing Owls Need Prairie Dogs - 05/26/06
Mockingbird Flash - 05/19/06	Bird Calls - 05/12/06
Bird Flu Hype - 05/05/06	Spraying Trees Bad for Birds - 04/28/06
Budgerigars - 04/21/06	Spring Cleaning Time - 04/14/06
Pintails on Cape Cod - 04/07/06	Burrowing Owls in M.A. - 03/31/06
Where to see Nightingales - 03/24/06	Mr. Gobbles at Kendall Square - 03/17/06
Cardinal Flocks - 03/10/06	Surf Scoters - 03/03/06
Hermit Thrushes - 02/24/06	Crossbills - 02/17/06
Fox Sparrows - 02/10/06	Best Suet for Woodpeckers - 02/03/06
Anhingas Stick Fish - 01/27/06	Long-tail Ducks (aka Oldsquaws)
John James Audubon - 01/10/06	Pink Flamingos - 01/06/06
Brainy Chickadees - 12/30/05	Squirrels' Lifestyles - 12/23/05
Cliff Swallows of Capistrano - 12/16/05	European Goldfinch Sighting - 12/09/05
Pileated Woodpecker ID - 12/02/05	Finding Harlequins - 11/25/05
Red-Tail Hawk ID - 11/18/05	Cooper's Hawk Migration - 11/11/05
Who Eats Fiddler Crabs - 11/04/05	Screaming In The Night - 10/28/05
Imported Pheasants - 10/21/05	Keeping Pigeons Off Feeders in Guam - 10/14/05
No Birds in Guam - 10/07/05	Robin Defends Suet - 09/30/05
Crows Foul Birdbath - 09/23/05	Do Penguins Have Knees? - 09/16/05
Baldheaded Birds - 09/09/05	What Affects Hummer Migration - 09/02/05
Bees at Hummer Feeders - 08/26/05	Osprey Nests in August - 08/19/05
Removing Old Nests - 08/12/05	Emperor Penguins - 08/05/05
Proper Birding Attire - 07/29/05	Psycho Blue Jays - 07/22/05
Mynas in Kabul - 07/15/05	Cowbird Eggs - 07/08/05
The Puffins to See - 07/01/05	No Birds in June - 06/24/05
Mold In Hummer Feeders - 6/17/5	Choosing a Field Guide - 06/10/05
Wrens Kick Out Bluebirds - 06/03/05	Oranges & String - 05/27/05
Dripping Hummer Feeders - 05/20/05	Chickadee Nesting Habits - 05/13/05
The Ivory-Billed Lives - 05/06/05	Nuthatch Behavior - 04/29/05
Purple Martins - 04/22/05	Roadrunners - 04/15/05
Mute Swans - 04/08/05	Ancient Murrelets - 04/01/05
Gulls In Vermont - 03/25/05	Jersey Chickadees - 03/18/05
"She Wore a Dead Bird on Her Head" - 03/11/05	First Bird of Spring - 03/04/05
Birds In a Blizzard - 02/25/05	What Seed Birds Like - 02/16/05
Robins/Bluebirds Like Same Food - 02/11/05	Wintering Carolina Wrens - 02/04/05
Red-Breasted Mergansers - 01/28/05	Goldeneye Behavior - 01/21/05
Improve Your Life With Birding - 1/14/05	Crashing Into Windows - 01/07/05
Year-End 04 Common Questions - 12/31/04	Orioles Go South - 12/24/04
White Pelicans Flyby - 12/17/04	Real Crows - 12/10/04
Roosting Behavior - 12/5/04	Wintering Loons Call - 11/26/04
Crow Mobbing Behavior - 11/16/04	Coots - 11/12/04
Beaks - 11/05/04	The Speed of Birds - 10/29/04
Ludlow Griscom - 10/22/04	Meadowlarks - 10/15/04
Spirit of the Great Auk - 10/08/04	Squirrels & Feeders - 10/01/04
Migration Part Two- 09/24/04	Migration - 09/17/04
Swallow Migration - 09/10/04	Juvenile Harriers - 09/03/04
Local Cormorants - 08/27/04	Red Footed Falcon - 08/20/04
Young Birds - 08/13/04	Cooper's Hawks - 08/06/04
Golden Eagles - 07/30/04	Ovenbirds - 07/23/04
Blue Jays Get Bad Rap - 07/16/04	Flickers Eat Ants - 07/09/04
Bobolinks - 07/02/04	Wood Pewees - 06/25/04
Nests In Planters - 06/18/04	Nest Building - 06/11/04
Goldfinches - 06/04/04	Robins - 05/28/04
Scarlet Tanagers - 05/21/04	Wood Ducks - 05/14/04
Indigo Buntings - 05/07/04	Where Are The Hummingbirds - 04/30/04
Foxy Fox Sparrows - 04/23/04	Faithful Phoebes - 04/16/04
Attracting Bluebirds - 04/09/04	Flickers on Chimnies - 04/02/04
Ivory-Billed Sighting - 03/26/04	Eiders Eat Mussels - 03/19/04
Survival by Feathers - 03/12/04	Finding Feeders - 03/05/04
Chimney-Eating Finches - 02/27/04	Bananaquits - 02/20/04
Yellow-Rumps in Winter - 02/13/04	Backyard Feeding Okay - 02/06/04
Redpolls Are Around - 01/30/04	It's No Bird Season Again - 01/23/04
More Mallards - 01/16/04	Mallards - 01/09/04
Christmas Count - 01/02/04
Red-Breasted Nuthatches - 12/26/03	Choosing Feeders - 12/19/03
Snow Geese - 12/12/03	Scissor Tailed Flycatcher - 12/05/03
Rice at Weddings - 11/28/03	Flocking Pigeons - 11/21/03
Flocking Sparrows - 11/14/03	Wrens Favorite Too - 11/07/03
Is Bread Bad for Birds? - 10/31/03	Hooting Great Horns - 10/24/03
Northern Harriers - 10/16/03	Downies Excavating in Fall - 10/10/03
Favorite Bird - 10/03/03	Where are the Kestrels? - 09/26/03
Birds in a Storm - 09/19/03	Doves on a Wire - 09/12/03
Buggy Seed - 09/05/03	Cranes vs. Herons - 08/29/03
Finding Sandpipers - 08/22/03	Standing on One Leg/Hearing - 08/15/03
Bald Eagles on Cape Cod - 08/08/03	Singing Birds - 08/01/03
Green Herons - 07/25/03	Attracting Catbirds - 07/18/03
Ospreys Wildwide - 07/11/03	Attracting Barn Swallows - 07/04/03
West Nile Virus - -6/27/03	Plantings for Birds - 06/20/03
Clean Feeders - -6/13/03	Lots of Orchard Orioles Around - 06/06/03
Whip-poor-wills - 05/30/03	White Throated Sparrows - 05/23/03
Beech Forest - 05/16/03	Laughing Gulls - 05/09/03
Wintering Juncos - 05/02/03	Turkey Family - 04/18/03
Screech Owls - 04/11/03	Turkey Vultures - 04/04/03
Water Park vs. Wood Ducks - 03/28/03	No Barred Owls on Cape Cod - 03/21/03
Peanut Feeders - 03/14/03	Red-Wings Back - 03/07/03
Surviving Winter: Heron - 02/28/03	Surviving Winter: Quail - 02/21/03
Heath Hens - 02/14/03	Monk Parakeets - 02/07/03
Cool Crows - 01/27/03	Shrikes - 01/24/03
Wintering Bluebirds - 01/17/03	Wallstreet Journal - 01/10/03
Luring Woodpeckers - 01/03/03	New Feeder Placement - 12/27/02
Enduring the Deep Freeze - 12/20/02	Song Sparrows Fun - 12/13/02
Lots of Gannets Here - 12/06/02	Horned Larks are Native - 11/29/02
Flamingos - 11/22/02	Nuthatch Strategy - 11/15/02
Hummer Beaks Do Open - 11/08/02	Energized Kinglets - 11/01/02
Ruffed Grouse Are Here - 10/25/02	"Sea Gull" Hero in Utah - 10/18/02
Red-Headed Woodpeckers - 10/11/02	Grebes - 10/04/02
Nighthawks are Not Hawks - 09/27/02	Woodpecker Lookalikes - 09/20/02
Frigatebird Sighting - 09/13/02	More & Last Hummingbird Info - 09/06/02
Fighting Hummers - 08/30/02	Bugs in Bird Seed - 08/30/02
Snoozing Birds - 08/23/02
A Screech in the Night - 08/16/02	Cowbirds - 08/09/02
Rufous-Sided Towhees - 08/02/02	Sandpiper Migration - 07/26/02
Broad-Winged Hawks - 07/19/02	The Wonder of Bird Droppings - 07/12/02
Black Skimmers - 06/28/02	Cuckoos - 07/05/02
Flycatcher Habits - 06/21/02	Killdeer Habitat - 06/14/02
Chipping Sparrows - 06/07/02
Choosing Binoculars - 05/24/02	The Second Number - 05/24/02
Fly Away Grosbeaks - 05/17/02	Ravens? - 05/17/02
Grackle Overpopulation - 05/03/02	Birds of Paradise - 05/09/02
Woodpecker Headaches - 04/26/02	Returning Hummers - 04/26/02
Do the Pigeon Walk - 04/19/02	The "Cape Caaahhd" Bird Call - 04/19/02
The Dove Singles Bar - 04/12/02	Where are the Females? - 04/12/02
Controlling Canada Geese - 04/05/02
Golden Eagles on Cape Cod - 03/29/02	Canada Goose Landscaping - 03/22/02
Birdhouse Direction - 03/15/02	Birdhouse Height - 03/15/02
Where are the House Finches? - 03/08/02
Getting Juncos - 03/01/02	"Mourning" Doves - 03/01/02
Ostrich Truth - 02/15/02	Turkey Vultures - 02/22/02
Cedar Waxwings - 02/08/02
Getting Bluebirds - 02/01/02	Sleeping Gull - 02/01/02
Small Dogs in Danger? - 01/25/02	Big Hawks - 01/25/02
Winter Redwings - 01/11/02	Winter Mockingbird - 01/11/02
Snowy Owls - 01/04/02
Christmas Surprise - 12/21/01	It's "No-Birds" Season Again - 12/28/01
Freezing Feet - 11/30/01	Melange Bicolore - 12/07/01
Inconsistent Grosbeaks - 11/16/01	Vickie Alden - 11/23/01
Uncommon Chats - 11/09/01	Cardinal Feathers - 11/09/01
Jeepers Creepers - 11/02/01
The Pumpkin Mystery - 10/26/01	Swallow Swarm - 10/19/01
Chickadee Strategy - 10/12/01	Cape Cod Turkeys - 10/05/01
American Bitterns - 09/28/01	Hummers at Suet - 09/28/01
Baby Delivery - 09/21/01
Strange Bird at Rock Harbor- 09/14/01
Hummers at Birdbaths - 09/07/01	Fixed-Focused Binos - 09/07/01
Fighting Goldfinches - 08/10/01
Downies at Hummer Feeders - 08/03/01	Bobwhites Calling - 08/03/01
Birds at Fenway - 07/27/01	Chip Calls - 07/27/01
Night Singing - 07/20/01	Algae - 07/20/01
Clean Boxes - 07/13/01	Lazy Grackles - 07/13/01
Clean Feeders - 07/06/01	Worms - 07/06/01
Flexible Tongues - 06/29/01	Red Dye - 06/29/01
Kingfishers - 06/22/01	Leaving the Nest - 06/22/01
Wrens - 05/18/01	Leave Feeders Out II - 05/18/01
Hawk Mobbing - 05/11/01	Long Answers - 05/11/01
Hummer/Oriole Feeders - 05/04/01	Leave Feeders Out - 05/04/01
Nesting in Wreath - 04/27/01	Clarkie Does the Drawings? - 04/27/01
Woodcock Display - 04/20/01
The Easter Bunny - 04/13/01
Cardinals - 04/06/01
Penguins & Puffins on Cape Cod - 03/30/01
Molting Goldfinches - 03/23/01	Hole Size for Bluebirds - 03/23/01
Birdhouses - 03/16/01	Chickadee Mating Call - 03/16/01
Mockingbirds - 03/09/01
Red-Bellied Woodpeckers - 03/02/01	Peanut Butter - 03/02/01
Starlings - 02/23/01
Hooting Owls - 02/16/01	Duck or Goose? - 02/16/01
Weird Creatures - 02/09/01	Sign of Spring - 02/09/01
Swans - 02/02/01
Drunk Robins - 01/19/01	Birds' Knees - 01/19/01
Winter Robins - 01/12/01
Snow Buntings - 01/05/01	Water in Winter - 01/05/01
Christmas Trees - 12/29/00	Electricity Safe - 12/29/00
Sharpies - 12/15/00	Bird Treats - 12/22/00
Critter ID - 12/08/00	Where'd the birds go? - 12/08/00
Geese ID - 11/17/00	Late Hummer - 11/17/00
Empty Shells - 11/10/00	Wallace Bailey - 11/10/00
Hawks on Poles - 11/03/00	Missing Suet - 11/03/00
Bobwhite Quail - 10/19/00	Woodpeckers Pecking Houses- 10/19/00
Blue Jays at Feeders - 10/13/00	Bird Names Capitalized - 10/13/00
Night Bird Calls - 10/06/00	Fearless Chickadees - 10/06/00
Lost Male Goldfinches - 09/29/00	Black Birds at Feeders - 09/29/00
Night Fliers - 09/22/00	Window Feeders - 09/22/00
Sandpipers - 09/01/00	Eating Like Pigs - 09/01/00
Weird Looking Birds - 08/18/00	Calling Crows - 08/18/00
Goofy Birds - 08/11/00	Loon Sightings - 08/11/00
Wild Care - 07/14/00	Thistle Socks - 07/14/00
Best Seed - 07/07/00
Summer Feeding - 06/23/00	New Birdbath - 06/23/00

Illustrations by Catherine Clark

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Bird Watcher's General Store * 36 Rt. 6A, Orleans, MA 02653
toll-free: 1-800-562-1512