by Blake Zimmerman, 12 | May 1, 2022 | 2022, 05 May Story Contest, Articles & Stories, Birds, Contest, Finches, Crossbills, & Grosbeaks, Story Contest, The Birders' Trail, Vultures
One warm summer day, my cousin and I had a contest to see who could find the most kinds of birds, animals, trees, plants, or leaves. We met at the trail that led into the woods. Our backpacks were full of field guides, binoculars, and lunch. Our plan was to stay in...
by Galen Williams, 17 | May 1, 2022 | 2022, 05 May Story Contest, Articles & Stories, Birds, Contest, Shorebirds, Story Contest, Warblers
American Woodcock. Photo © Kevin Shank. The second week of May came, and so did the warblers and other migrating species. I had spring fever. Spring, Galen, warblers—all three—go hand in hand, so off I launched toward the closest woods. A good neighbor owned the woods...
by Ryan M. Kurtz, 13 | May 1, 2022 | 2022, 05 May Story Contest, Articles & Stories, Birds, Contest, Finches, Crossbills, & Grosbeaks, Story Contest
Baby House Finch is only slightly aware of his surroundings. Instinct tells him he must get out! Frantically he pecks at the shell imprisoning him. At last he lies back, exhausted. After a short rest, he is at it again. He pecks and pecks for what seems like hours....
by Estella See, 14 | May 1, 2022 | 2022, 05 May Story Contest, Articles & Stories, Contest, Mammals, Story Contest
Baby baboon eating banana. Photo © Estella See, 14. On a hot, sunny day in Uganda, Africa, we set out to visit the baboons. Many baboons live in the big forests near Tororo, and it was always an exciting adventure to go visit them.As the road entered the forest, we...
by Andrea LaBelle, 16 | May 1, 2022 | 2022, 05 May Story Contest, Articles & Stories, Birds, Contest, Hawks, Eagles, & Kites, Kingfishers, Story Contest
It was the beginning of warmer weather, when the changing day length tells birds to begin their migration back north.This is a time that my family looks forward to, not only because we enjoy the warmth, but because we like the birds.Yes, birds.We have a pond in our...
by Weston Martin, 12 | May 1, 2022 | 2022, 05 May Story Contest, Articles & Stories, Contest, Mammals, Story Contest
One summer day when we had some visitors, we spied a little squirrel up in the treetops right next to our house. It was not much bigger than a chipmunk. Someone ran to get the field guide, and we decided it was a southern flying squirrel. That was a surprise, for most...
by Kelsey, 8, and Blake, 6, Stoutjesdyk | May 1, 2022 | 2022, 05 May Story Contest, Articles & Stories, Astronomy, Contest, Galaxies, Meteors, Story Contest
Once upon a cool August evening, our family happened to be camping in a dark, open area near Jasper, Alberta, Canada, where we had an amazing view of the sky.One evening, something caught our dad’s eye. He looked up to see a shooting star streak through the sky....
by Mark Hochstetler, 14 | May 1, 2022 | 2022, 05 May Story Contest, Articles & Stories, Birds, Contest, Story Contest, Swallows, Thrushes
Eastern Bluebird and Tree Swallow. Photo © Dreamstime.com. “Chee! Chee! Chee!” The strident notes eddied through the open living room window and pricked my ears. I dropped The War for Mansoul, which I was reading this noon break, and strode to the window. What was...
by Galen Horning, 8 | May 1, 2022 | 2022, 05 May Story Contest, Articles & Stories, Birds, Contest, Finches, Crossbills, & Grosbeaks, Story Contest
Common Redpoll. Photo © Dreamstime.com. My sister looked out the window and asked, “Is that a redpoll?”We all ran for the window. By then the birds had all flown away, so we had to go over to another window. Soon we saw the birds on a little snow pile.My sister said,...
by Christopher Raber, 10 | May 1, 2022 | 2022, 05 May Story Contest, Articles & Stories, Birds, Contest, Fish, Hawks, Eagles, & Kites, Story Contest
by Kevin Shank | Apr 5, 2022 | 2022, 04 April, Birds, Contest, Owls, Waterfowl - Geese, Swans, Ducks, Loons, Grebes, Woodpeckers
First Place Winner Great Horned Owl. Artwork © Lynette Miller, 17. Second Place Winner Wood Duck pair. Artwork © Reuben Miller, 16. Third Place Winner Red-bellied Woodpecker. Artwork © Laura Smucker, 15.
by Kevin Shank | Apr 5, 2022 | 2022, 04 April, Birds, Blackbirds, Orioles, Meadowlarks, Contest, Owls, Wrens
First Place Winner Baltimore Oriole. Artwork © Elizabeth Boggs, 12. Second Place Winner Barn Owl. Artwork © Blessing Langham, 12. Third Place Winner House Wren. Artwork © John Mark Ramer, 12. About the Wild Bird Art Contest A big thanks to each of you who...
by Kevin Shank | Apr 4, 2022 | 2022, 04 April, Birds, Contest, Hawks, Eagles, & Kites, Hummingbirds
First Place Winner Osprey. Artwork © Dawn Burkholder, 16. Second Place Winner Broad-billed Hummingbirds at cardinal flower. Artwork © Mark Brueggemann, 14. Third Place Winner Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Artwork © Anne Hein, 15. About the Wild Bird Art Contest A big...
by Kevin Shank | Apr 1, 2022 | 2022, 04 April, Birds, Contest, Covers, Fish, Herons, Egrets, & Bitterns, Hummingbirds
Great Blue Heron and pumpkinseed sunfish. Artwork © Michael Stauffer. Broad-billed Hummingbirds at cardinal flower. Artwork © Mark Brueggemann, 14.
by Sharon Newswanger | Apr 1, 2022 | 2022, 04 April, Birds, Contest, Let's Take a Hike, Thrushes
Baby American Robin. Artwork © Sharon Newswanger, 15. About the Wild Bird Art Contest A big thanks to each of you who participated. We very much enjoyed seeing your work.Judging the work was quite a challenge. We invited an artist to join us in the decision process....
by Kevin Shank | Apr 1, 2022 | 2022, 04 April, Contest, From the Editor's Quill, Puzzle, Scavenger Hunt
by Kevin Shank | Apr 1, 2022 | 2022, 04 April, Birds, Blackbirds, Orioles, Meadowlarks, Owls, Pictures and Poems, Wrens
by Kevin Shank | Apr 1, 2022 | 2022, 04 April, Birds, Contest, Crows, Jays, & Magpies, Herons, Egrets, & Bitterns, Owls
First Place Winner Great Blue Heron and pumpkinseed sunfish. Artwork © Michael Stauffer. Second Place Winner Blue Jay. Artwork © Lois Tschetter. Third Place Winner Snowy Owl. Artwork © Aneta Koehn. About the Wild Bird Art Contest A big thanks to each of you who...
by Seth Good, 8 | Mar 3, 2022 | Articles & Stories, Birds, Cardinals, Tanagers, & Allies, Nuthatches, Pigeons & Doves, Sparrows, Thrushes, Waterfowl - Geese, Swans, Ducks, Loons, Grebes, Woodpeckers, Wrens
Sunday dawned a beautiful morning. The first birds I saw were cardinals—male and female. There were Chipping, English, and House Sparrows at the feeder. Out the kitchen window I saw a Junco and a Mourning Dove. At the feeder there were now starlings and Brown-headed...
by Kayleen and Rachelle Plank | Mar 3, 2022 | 2022, 03 March, Articles & Stories, Contest, Learning By Doing, Plants & Fungi
STEP 1:Build a simple 24” x 36” x 8” box with a bottom, using sturdy old fence boards. STEP 2:Now you are ready to construct the cottage front. Cut five weathered barn boards to make a cottage front. The finished width should be approximately 34”. The height should be...
by Julian D. Kreider, 9 | Mar 2, 2022 | 2022, 03 March, Articles & Stories, Birds, Contest, Crows, Jays, & Magpies, Hawks, Eagles, & Kites, Sparrows, Thrushes, Woodpeckers, Wrens
Red-tailed Hawk. Photo © Julian Kreider. When I was looking through the September Nature Friend, I saw the Birding with Friends Contest. I thought it would be interesting to try. I decided to make my circle in a brushy place on our six-acre property. I picked Monday,...
by Rebecca Martin, East Earl, PA | Mar 2, 2022 | 2022, 03 March, Articles & Stories, Contest, Mailbox, Mammals
Striped Skunks. Photo © Dreamstime.com. The majestic moon climbs silently over the dark forest and hills, shining its silver light upon the peaceful woodland. Deep inside a hollow log, a night creature stirs and stretches its sleepy limbs. Rising on her padded paws,...
by Kevin Shank | Mar 1, 2022 | 2022, 03 March, Articles & Stories, Contest, From the Editor's Quill
This was a fun issue to compile. To begin with, content came from an assortment of activities that you readers participated in. They included Birding With Friends, Nature Night, Creative Writing Contest, and a “Learning by Doing” going back to a Flower Planter contest...
by Kevin Shank | Mar 1, 2022 | 2022, 03 March, Contest, From the Editor's Quill, Puzzle, Scavenger Hunt
by Marcia Schrock, 15 | Mar 1, 2022 | 2022, 03 March, Articles & Stories, Birds, Cardinals, Tanagers, & Allies, Chickadees & Titmice, Crows, Jays, & Magpies, Finches, Crossbills, & Grosbeaks, Hawks, Eagles, & Kites, Kinglets, Nuthatches, The Birders' Trail, Thrushes, Vultures, Woodpeckers
As I went about my morning work on November 17, the lovely day beckoned me outdoors. Why not do the Nature Friend bird circle project today? The thought niggled at the back of my mind. Why not? So it was that I launched into a day of bird watching.A flock of black...
by Kevin Shank | Feb 23, 2022
The spring bird migration is underway. Birders know the delight in a fallout of warbler s in their brightly-colored breeding plumage flitting here and there, looking for insects among the newly-emerging leaf canopy of the forest. And to all you non-birders, well, you...
by Eugene Martin | Feb 8, 2022 | 2022, 02 February, Articles & Stories, Birds, Chickadees & Titmice, Contest, Finches, Crossbills, & Grosbeaks, Hawks, Eagles, & Kites, Vireos
Sharp-shinned Hawk. Photo © Kevin Shank. Slowly I walked down beside the row of trees—binoculars, field guide, pen, and paper in my hand, drinking in the beauty of the predawn morning. A killdeer called even before I got to my secluded little circle beside the placid...
by Janice Troyer | Feb 8, 2022 | 2022, 02 February, Articles & Stories, Contest, Crustaceans & Mollusks, Saltwater, Water Life
It was morning on the seashore. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, sending a warm glow over the dozens of little waves at its feet. The sea gulls were already calling and swooping over the sand and water.From his tight little crevice in between two rocks about...
by Freeman J. Martin, 9 | Feb 8, 2022 | Articles & Stories, Astronomy, Constellations, Contest, Meteors, Nature Nugget
In August, Dad decided to take the family to Cherry Springs Park in Pennsylvania, which has the darkest night sky east of the Mississippi River. We ventured out with food, binoculars, tents, our telescope, and a borrowed one.When we got to our destination, we were...
by Swena Newswanger, 15 | Feb 8, 2022 | 2022, 02 February, Articles & Stories, Astronomy, Contest, Meteors
Here in upstate New York, autumn was long and beautiful. This is December already, and some days are warm enough that even the bees decide to fly. But the other night something else was flying which aroused my interest and required me to lose some sleep.After making...
