![Why Are There So Many Tiger Swallowtails this Year?](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/4887012963_c91c4927da.jpg)
In this category, we explore the art of wildlife observation and the joys of enjoying wildlife in your garden. From attracting birds and butterflies to your outdoor space to setting up a bird feeder or bird bath, we provide practical tips and expert advice on how to create a wildlife-friendly garden.
![Why Are There So Many Tiger Swallowtails this Year?](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/4887012963_c91c4927da.jpg)
![Bald Eagles Spend Winter at Conowingo Dam](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Eagle-Fish-5-300x240.jpg)
Bald Eagles Spend Winter at Conowingo Dam
Annual visit to Conowingo Dam to see hundreds of eagles.![Do Robins Really Return in the Spring](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Snow-Robin-490x379.jpg)
Do Robins Really Return in the Spring
Do Robins Really Return in the Spring![Helping Wildlife with Specialized Habitat Needs in Your Ecosystem Garden](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/4075970776_c93529b13f_o.jpg)
Helping Wildlife with Specialized Habitat Needs in Your Ecosystem Garden
Helping Wildlife with Specialized Habitat Needs in Your Ecosystem Garden![Bald-Faced Hornets in the Wildlife Garden](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Bald-faced-Hornet-Nest-300x225.jpg)
Bald-Faced Hornets in the Wildlife Garden
Bald-Faced Hornets in the Wildlife Garden![Coopers Hawk Takes a Lunch Break in My Wildlife Garden](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Coopers-Hawk.jpg)
Coopers Hawk Takes a Lunch Break in My Wildlife Garden
Coopers Hawk Takes a Lunch Break in My Wildlife Garden![Whoever Said You Can’t See Birds in Winter is Wrong](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Longtail-1-300x224.jpg)
Whoever Said You Can’t See Birds in Winter is Wrong
Winter is a great time to see birds in your own wildlife garden as long as you have a lot of native plants with plenty of seeds, nuts and berries to attract wildlife.![Are Wildlife Gardeners Real Birders?](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/5428368489_902b188ba8.jpg)
Are Wildlife Gardeners Real Birders?
Are Wildlife Gardeners Real Birders?![Birding Festivals Through the Year](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Jay-Scrub-2-watermark-265x300.jpg)
Birding Festivals Through the Year
Attending birding festivals near you is a great way to learn about birds in their natural habitat.![Amazing Critters in the Wildlife Garden](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Saddleback-Caterpillar-300x210.jpg)
Amazing Critters in the Wildlife Garden
Amazing Critters in the Wildlife Garden![Maine Pelagic Birding](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Portland-Maine-Fort-Gorges.jpg)
Maine Pelagic Birding
Birding adventures while out whale watching in Maine.![Winter Ducks and Early Spring Migrant Birds](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/RW-Blackbird-2-sm.jpg)
Winter Ducks and Early Spring Migrant Birds
Winter Ducks and Early Spring Migrant Birds![Very Late First Monarch of the Season](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Monarch-300x225.jpg)
Very Late First Monarch of the Season
Very Late First Monarch of the Season![Birding Wissahickon Park](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Wissahickon-Gorge-490x367.jpg)
Birding Wissahickon Park
A day out birding Wissahickon Park.![Why Did That Stupid Bird Build Its Nest in a Parking Lot?](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/5911320610_c2ce96b07a_o.jpg)
Why Did That Stupid Bird Build Its Nest in a Parking Lot?
Why Did That Stupid Bird Build Its Nest in a Parking Lot?![Tree Swallows Return](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Tree-Swallow.jpg)
Tree Swallows Return
Tree Swallows Return![Winter Birding Activities](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Snow-Wren-300x225.jpg)
Winter Birding Activities
See my list of fun birding activities. Some can even be done from the comfort of home.![Late Summer Birds At An Urban Oasis](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Sparrow-Song-sm.jpg)
Late Summer Birds At An Urban Oasis
Birds of late summer at the urban oasis of John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge near the Philadelphia, PA airport 6:30 am alarm clock on a drizzly Sunday morning. Sounds like a great reason to stay in bed, snug as a bug under the covers. But this morning I have a...![How Do Birds Stay Warm in Winter](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Snow-Wren-sm-300x225.jpg)
How Do Birds Stay Warm in Winter
How Do Birds Stay Warm in Winter? Their feathers have amazing insulating properties. Many birds travel during winter for food more so than the warmer temperatures.![The Monarch Monitoring Project](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/5077904333_dde9de2445.jpg)
The Monarch Monitoring Project
Monarch butterflies make an incredible journey from as far as Canada to Mexico. Your wildlife garden plays an important role in helping the butterflies make their migration.![Farmers Saving Bird Habitat](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/DSCN5283-490x377.jpg)
Farmers Saving Bird Habitat
Meet some of the biologist I met in Guatamala helping to preserve bird habitats.![Why So Many Snowy Owls This Year?](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/P-Sutton-Snowy-Owl-2-300x225.jpg)
Why So Many Snowy Owls This Year?
The dramatic increase in Snowy Owls in places not normally recorded is related to lack of food in their normal range.![Birding in Maine](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Maine-Puffin-232x300.jpg)
Birding in Maine
More birding adventures in Maine.![Nest Watch in Your Ecosystem Garden](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/4453992737_69088be74f_o.jpg)
Nest Watch in Your Ecosystem Garden
Nest Watch in Your Ecosystem Garden![Birding Tikal](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/View-from-Temple-4.jpg)
Birding Tikal
Take a look at my birding trip in Tikal. Amazing ruins and monkey sightings.![Chickadees in the Wildlife Garden](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/4130628948_7a3a435a10.jpg)
Chickadees in the Wildlife Garden
Chickadees in the Wildlife Garden![Get your Bird Houses Ready, Spring is Coming](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Winter-Birdhouse-490x367.jpg)
Get your Bird Houses Ready, Spring is Coming
Get your Bird Houses Ready, Spring is Coming![Searching for Ducks](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/4375285831_479cdcff37_o.jpg)
Searching for Ducks
Searching for Ducks![Black Swallowtail Butterflies and Caterpillars](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/DSCN8807-490x367.jpg)
Black Swallowtail Butterflies and Caterpillars
Black Swallowtail Butterflies and Caterpillars![Looking Past the Garden Gate, the Ocean Needs Our Help](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/4287555991_fb8a57071f.jpg)
Looking Past the Garden Gate, the Ocean Needs Our Help
I was fortunate to spend the holiday yesterday at the state park at Barnegat Lighthouse in New Jersey. I have a deep fascination with winter ducks who spend their lives in the cold, rough waters of the ocean. And I consider you extremely lucky if your garden vista...![Where the Birds Are](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Stand-Out-From-the-Crowd-490x367.jpg)
Where the Birds Are
Where the Birds Are![Harry Potter is Missing His Owl](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Snowy-5-490x392.jpg)
Harry Potter is Missing His Owl
Seeing a snowy owl is one of the most fun Winter birding activities.![Birding Outside the Garden Gate Atlantic Puffin](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Maine-Puffin-1-226x300.jpg)
Birding Outside the Garden Gate Atlantic Puffin
Birding Outside the Garden Gate Atlantic Puffin![Birding Biddeford Pool](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Maine-Wood-Island-Lighthouse-Biddeford-Pool-300x211.jpg)
Birding Biddeford Pool
Beautiful sights and sounds while birding Biddeford Pool.![The Beautiful Herons](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/5894295506_364ce5be7c_o.jpg)
The Beautiful Herons
See my images of beautiful Herons.![Project Feeder Watch begins: be a citizen scientist](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/4105110604_7b7d6be392-1.jpg)
Project Feeder Watch begins: be a citizen scientist
Project Feeder Watch begins: be a citizen scientist![Early Spring Nesting Birds](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Barred-Owl-in-Backyard.jpg)
Early Spring Nesting Birds
Early Spring Nesting Birds![Dance of Joy](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Crane-Sandhill-9-300x203.jpg)
Dance of Joy
Watching a wonderful group of birds playing in someone's garden.![A Gift of Turkeys](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/256px-Wild_Turkey_159.jpg)
A Gift of Turkeys
Seeing a flock of wild turkeys through the window was a rare treat on a Winter's day.![Goldfinch Eating Heliantus Seeds](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/3828233483_f9c607b03b.jpg)
Goldfinch Eating Heliantus Seeds
Goldfinch Eating Heliantus Seeds![Birds and Wildlife Gardens of Guatemala](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/View-from-Temple-4.jpg)
Birds and Wildlife Gardens of Guatemala
About my invitation to a birding FAM trip to Guatemala.![Butterfly House at Albuquerque Botanic Garden](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Atlas-Moth-Malaysia.jpg)
Butterfly House at Albuquerque Botanic Garden
Butterfly House at Albuquerque Botanic Garden![What Happens to Migrating Birds During a Hurricane?](https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Brown-Booby-300x263.jpg)