We have house finches that recently built a nest under our roof overhang. Had it been a messy house sparrow, or more aggressive barn swallow, my wife would have probably suggested I not let the ...

House finches are the perfect urban bird. They would willingly trade an empty lot filled with grasses and bushes and trees for a nice new house with a bird feeder. They are fond (understatement) of ...

Spring is proceeding apace in this yard, despite my worst fears. For 28 of the 29 years that my husband and I have lived in this house, the elderly widow next door mostly shared our commitment to a ...

This article was featured in One Great Story, New York’s reading recommendation newsletter. Sign up here to get it nightly. One day in late May, I spotted some weedy crud on my porch sconce. It looked ...

A Baltimore oriole nest made of mostly horse hair, and only horse hair, is the best bird nest I have ever seen. It was found in a tree in the yard of a friend. Alex, who showed me the nest, lives on ...