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.

A few days ago a birdwatcher found a MacGillivray's Warbler less than ten miles from my house.

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.

This past weekend I was able to photograph Snow Buntings for the first time.  These sparrow-like birds visit Pennsylvania in small numbers each year. 

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.