My sons and I were taking care of some last-minute Christmas shopping last week when we came across a flock of Cedar Waxwings eating some cherries in trees bordering the parking lot of the mall in Lancaster.

Just last week when I wrote about Song Sparrows, I mentioned that other common backyard sparrows like Chipping Sparrows aren't here in the Susquehanna Valley all year long. 

Song Sparrows are one of the Susquehanna Valley's most common, and most commonly overlooked, bird species. They also happen to be one of my favorites.

I make a point of going bird watching every day. Sometimes that means a fun trip to a beautiful natural area, sometimes it's watching birds in my back yard as my dog chases her tennis ball.

The Northern Cardinal may be the most recognizable backyard bird in the Susquehanna Valley.

Almost everyone is familiar with Pennsylvania's two most common species of thrushes, the American Robin and the Eastern Bluebird.  There are actually six other species of thrushes in Pennsylvania, all of which are brown forest-dwelling birds with speckled breasts, like the Hermit Thrush.

Small and sneaky, but very noisy, the Carolina Wren is the most common wren in the Susquehanna Valley. Their loud songs and calls are a year-round part of the chorus of nature sounds in your yard.

A flock of vultures was perched behind the Mechanicsburg store when I got to work earlier this week. Most were Black Vultures, but a few Turkey Vultures were also present.

The Yellow-rumped Warbler has one of my favorite bird nicknames. Each Yellow-rumped Warbler has a patch of bright yellow feathers low on its back, right above the base of the tail.

Pine Warblers nest across most of the eastern United States, as well as parts of southeastern Canada, almost exclusively in forests dominated by pines.