STOKES BIRDING BLOG
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Lillian and Don Stokes Blog by Lillian Stokes since 2006.
STOKES BIRDING BLOG
2w ago
Gorgeous photo of Pine Grosbeak finch ©AlanMurphyPhotography, from newly published The Stokes Guide to Finches of the United States and Canada. Pine Grosbeaks eat berries, seeds and buds, live in open coniferous forests of the north and west and irrupt southward into northern U.S. when food crops fail. Buy the Book NOW, CLICK HERE ..read more
STOKES BIRDING BLOG
3w ago
Wonderful review from the National Audubon Society By Chad Witko
of The Stokes Guide to Finches of the United States and Canada
Buy Now, HERE
"Beloved by the public, bird enthusiasts, and researchers alike, finches are among our most familiar birds. Yet, they are deceptively complex, presenting some of North America’s most intricate avian life histories and identification challenges. Covering this diverse, multifaceted group in a single, accessible guide requires finesse and expertise. Enter Lillian Stokes and Matt Young.
For decades, Stokes and her husband Don have been tr ..read more
STOKES BIRDING BLOG
3w ago
The Winter Finch Forecast suggests there will be good movements of Purple Finches, Evening Grosbeaks and more this winter, read on
26th ANNUAL WINTER FINCH FORECAST 2024-2025
By Forecaster Tyler Hoar
GENERAL FORECAST
"This year, a widespread cone crop reaches from northern British Columbia to eastern Quebec and down the western mountains. While there is a widespread crop, some areas have significant holes caused by insect infestations (Spruce Budworm, Tent Cat ..read more
STOKES BIRDING BLOG
3w ago
BUY THE BOOK NOW, click HERE.
"BOOK NOTE: IT’S FINCH TIME! (Review from The Birding Community E-Bulletin) If you ever wanted a way to unravel the complexities of identifying and understanding better the world of North American finches – grosbeaks, rosy-finches, crossbills, goldfinches, and the other myriad finches – you now have a book that should seriously help you in your quest. It’s The Stokes Guide to Finches of the United States and Canada (Little, Brown and Company, 2024) by Lillian Q. Stokes and Matthew A. Young.
The birds in the guide are smartly arranged into three groups: 18 main ..read more
STOKES BIRDING BLOG
1M ago
The Stokes Guide to Finches of the United States and Canada will be published Sept. 17, 2024. Click here to order ..read more
STOKES BIRDING BLOG
2M ago
Just had a long working weekend with my coauthor Matt Young, for our new book, The Stokes Guide to Finches of the United States and Canada which come out soon, September 17th!. We worked on our upcoming talk that we will be giving at a number of places (including being keynote speakers at The Biggest Week in 2025, Harris Center in NH and NH Audubon this fall, Acadia Birding Festival 2025), met with the American Bird Conservancy to hear about all the great work they are doing to save endangered Hawaiian Finches (which are covered in our book), and recorded one of many podcasts we will b ..read more
STOKES BIRDING BLOG
3M ago
Escape into nature part 1: Dragons and damsels. Visited 5 wetland areas on Sunday and saw some beautiful dragonflies and damselflies. They are the "flycatchers" of the insect world, darting out to catch smaller insects. The males often patrol stream and pond banks in a territory, waiting for females to mate with. Such amazing creatures! When the birding slows down in the middle of the day get out your binos and camera! Learn all about them in our Stokes Beginner's Guide to Dragonflies ..read more
STOKES BIRDING BLOG
4M ago
Monarch Butterfly. They lay their eggs on milkweed and their caterpillars feed on this plant.
Great Spangled Frittillary on Purple Coneflower
Close-up of Great Spangled Fritillary
American Lady Butterfly, told by the two eye spots on underside of the hindwing
Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies are unmistakable
Spicebush Swallowtails can be told from other big, dark swallowtails by their single row of prominent white dots inside the margin of their forewings.
The larvae of Spicebush Swallowtails feed on spicebush and sassafrass.
Pearl Crescent butterfly. Scores are feeding on whit ..read more
STOKES BIRDING BLOG
4M ago
It's 96 degrees. For an easy, inexpensive birdbath, try using a saucer that goes under a flowerpot. I just refilled this bird saucer with fresh cold water and two Red-winged Blackbird juveniles showed up. One drank and the other with spread wing might have been sunbathing (which birds do by lying with spread wings, to help get rid of parasites in feathers). Their mouths are open because they are panting, it's how birds cool off. I am just trying to help the birds and stay out of the high heat, it's like an oven out there!
  ..read more
STOKES BIRDING BLOG
4M ago
Birds need water to drink,
and bathe.
"Hey, where's the towel and the frozen daquiris?"
Orange halves are a refreshing treat in warm weather for this Gray Catbird.
An extra roof cools off the bird house above and below.
This baby American Robin cooled off the only way it knows how, by panting. Birds have no sweat glands and so cool themselves by rapid respiration with their mouths open.
I used the mister setting on the hose to cool off the robin nest by misting the air and foliage above.
Hummingbird Feeder with shade roof.
The weather has been crazy, ranging f ..read more