The Backyard Naturalist

06/03/2026

Another Sunday and another exciting bird walk. This week we will go to the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center. So far the weather looks OK, but keep an eye on changes. Our policy is that if it is raining or looks like it is about to rain the walk will be cancelled. The particulars are in the attachment.

Our bird walk this week will take us to the Eastern Shore. The Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center is a relatively new birding site and in just a few years has become an amazing birding adventure. It incorporates pine forests, wetlands, and the open water of the Chesapeake Bay. Birds such as the Brown-headed Nuthatch, Yellow-throated Warbler, Snowy Egret, Common Loon, and the possibility of a Tri-colored Heron or a Little Blue Heron. Bald Eagles and assorted shorebirds will make the trip complete.

The Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center lies on the Eastern Shore in the community of Stevensville. The address is 600 Discovery Ln, Grasonville, MD 21638. The trails are flat and very easy to walk. The entire loop is about 1.5 miles with several spots to stop and observe. From Olney, the drive will take about 1 hour and 30 minutes with a $6.00 toll at the Bay Bridge. The walk should end before noon depending on what birds show up that day. The temperature should be in the mid 70’s with thunderstorms in the afternoon.

Be sure to bring some bug/tick repellent. Sometimes the bugs can be a real pain. And, bring water. With the heat and humidity it can lead to dehydration. It’s not a pretty picture. Bring binoculars. We have loaners if necessary.

Franny will be leading this walk and can be contacted at: (301)-633-6639

Have Fun!

06/02/2026

We Need Towels!!!! Baby season is keeping us busy, and we're doing 10–12 loads of laundry every day. We're currently in need of gently used hand towels, bath towels, and flat sheets (no fitted sheets or blankets, please). These items are used daily for patient care, transport, and housing. If you're cleaning out your linen closet, we'd be grateful for your donation. Every towel helps!

Donations can be dropped off at 26400 Haines Rd, Clarksburg, MD 20871, any day of the week between 10 AM and 4 PM. If you're unable to stop by, we've added a few towel options to our Amazon Wishlist that can be shipped directly to us. Thank you! https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/3U5M2IWJSGYYL

06/02/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/18aJToDrqf/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Your backyard in June is running ten storylines at the same time. You're watching one of them.

The cardinal at the feeder is feeding the female beak-to-beak again — not leftover spring romance. She's on her second clutch. He feeds her so she doesn't leave the eggs. Every seed he delivers is a temperature decision.

The wren nesting in the garage is making three to four hundred feeding trips a day. Caterpillar, spider, caterpillar, spider — one beak-load at a time since dawn. She'll stop at dusk and do it again tomorrow.

🌿 The robin fledgling sitting alone on the lawn, hopping awkwardly, looking lost — she's not abandoned. She left the nest on purpose, two to three days before her wings fully work. Both parents are within thirty feet watching you watch her. Keep cats inside. Walk away.

The barn swallow under the porch is still building — a thousand mud pellets carried one beak-load at a time from the puddle in the driveway. The fireflies start flashing this week. The fawn in the tall grass hasn't been abandoned — the doe visits at dawn and dusk.

Ten episodes. Every branch, every bush, every patch of grass. The image maps all of them 🐾

06/02/2026

Sunday started out cold (in the high 40's) and ended in the mid 70"s. The temperatures didn't affect the birds. There were spots where they put on quite a show. We ended with 54 species including the Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Baltimore Oriole, and Orchard Oriole. It was a great day. Migration is beginning to wind down, but we are still getting some great birds. Let's hope that we can keep the numbers up on the next series of walks. Stay tuned for information on the next walk to a place yet to be determined.

Schooley Mill Park, Howard, Maryland, US
May 31, 2026 7:27 AM - 10:28 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.162 mile(s)
54 species

Canada Goose 3
Mallard 1
Mourning Dove 1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 3
Chimney Swift 1
Green Heron 1
Black Vulture 2
Turkey Vulture 3
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3
Downy Woodpecker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 3
Eastern Wood-Pewee 2
Acadian Flycatcher 4
Eastern Phoebe 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 3
Eastern Kingbird 3
Yellow-throated Vireo 1
Eastern Warbling Vireo 2
Red-eyed Vireo 3
American Crow 9
Fish Crow 2
Carolina Chickadee 1
Tufted Titmouse 3
Tree Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4
Northern House Wren 1
Carolina Wren 2
European Starling 3
Northern Mockingbird 2
Eastern Bluebird 4
Wood Thrush 1
American Robin 2
American Goldfinch 2
Chipping Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 1
Eastern Towhee 2
Yellow-breasted Chat 1
Eastern Meadowlark 2
Orchard Oriole 2
Baltimore Oriole 1
Red-winged Blackbird 11
Brown-headed Cowbird 3
Common Grackle 1
Ovenbird 3
Louisiana Waterthrush 1
Common Yellowthroat 4
Northern Parula 1
Northern Cardinal 3
Blue Grosbeak 2
Indigo Bunting 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S350234215

05/28/2026

School's out soon! Thank your hardworking teachers and school staff with a thoughtful note and a nature-themed gift. See our favorite gift ideas for every budget.

Express your appreciation for hardworking educators and school staff with a thoughtful note and a unique gift inspired by Nature. The Backyard Naturalist has gift ideas for shoppers of all ages within every budget.

05/27/2026

Just a reminder that the bird walk this coming Sunday will be at Schooley Mill Park in Howard County. The directions and address are in the attachment. We will meet at the top of the parking lot at 7:30 am. We have the opportunity to see some really cool birds like the Blue Grosbeak and the Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Beginner or pro, all are welcome.

Bird Walk
Sunday, May 31, 2026
Schooley Mill Park
12975 Hall Shop Road, Highland, MD, 20777
7:30 AM

Our bird walk this coming Sunday will take us to Howard County to Schooley Mill Park. From Olney, go east on Route 108 towards Baltimore for about 10 miles give or take. At Highland, look for Hall Shop Road on your right. The park entrance sits back off the road a bit and is easy to miss, but once you find Hall Shop Road it will all become clear.

We will have to keep an eye on the weather. It will be cool and possibly rain on Sunday. For our bird walk the temperatures will only be in the mid 50’s with a 20% chance of rain. Bring water, bug repellent, and binoculars (I have loaners).

We will have a good chance of getting Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, both Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, several warblers, flycatchers, and thrushes. If we are lucky and get a Swainsons and a Gray-cheeked thrush we’ll get Franny to show us the difference and the ID marks that will make for easy identification.

The trail is basically easy, but there are some hills to be dealt with. We walk slow so there should not be a problem.

Contact: Pete Givan (301-758-1420)

05/22/2026

The Backyard Naturalist stocks U.S. flags, U.S. Armed Forces flags and Maryland state flags year round. Available in a range of sizes from garden size to 3' x 5', along with decorative and plain poles, brackets and hardware.

U.S. National Colors . U.S. Army . U.S. Marine Corps . U.S. Navy . U.S. Air Force . Fly your flags with pride this Memorial Day weekend. The Backyard Naturalist stocks U.S. flags, U.S. Armed Forces flags and Maryland state flags year round.

05/20/2026

Floral or coastal, bold or subdued — we’re chock full of new flags, mail wraps and doormats for your summer refresh. Come take a look! ☀️🍉😎

05/19/2026

This!!!!

Every spring I see the red nectar bottles on store shelves and I just have to say something. 🙏

The dye is not necessary. Hummingbirds are attracted to the red parts of the feeder — the ports, the base, the flowers. They do not need red liquid.

And there's growing evidence that artificial red dye (Red Dye No. 40) may be harmful to them. It's simply not worth the risk.

The recipe is embarrassingly simple:
→ 1 cup white granulated sugar
→ 4 cups water
→ Stir or boil until dissolved
→ Cool completely before filling
→ Refrigerate the rest for up to a week

Change it every 3–5 days in warm weather. Every 2 days when it's hot. Mold and fermentation happen fast.

Clear nectar. Clean feeder. Happy hummingbird. That's the whole system.

Share this with someone who might not know. 💙

05/19/2026

The bird walk this coming Sunday will be at Schooley Mill Park in Howard County. The directions and address are in the attachment. We will meet at the top of the parking lot at 7:30 am. We have the opportunity to see some really cool birds like the Blue Grosbeak and the Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Beginner or pro, all are welcome.

Bird Walk
Sunday, May 24, 2026
Schooley Mill Park
12975 Hall Shop Road, Highland, MD, 20777
7:30 AM

Our bird walk this coming Sunday will take us to Howard County to Schooley Mill Park. From Olney, go east on Route 108 towards Baltimore for about 10 miles give or take. At Highland, look for Hall Shop Road on your right. The park entrance sits back off the road a bit and is easy to miss, but once you find Hall Shop Road it will all become clear.

We will have to keep an eye on the weather. It will be cool and possibly rain on Sunday. For our bird walk the temperatures will only be in the mid 50’s with a 20% chance of rain. Bring water, bug repellent, and binoculars (I have loaners).

We will have a good chance of getting Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, both Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, several warblers, flycatchers, and thrushes. If we are lucky and get a Swainsons and a Gray-cheeked thrush we’ll get Franny to show us the difference and the ID marks that will make for easy identification.

The trail is basically easy, but there are some hills to be dealt with. We walk slow so there should not be a problem.

Contact: Pete Givan (301-758-1420)