Weekly Article Archive

By Eric Moore / Since 2019

Eric Moore, the owner of The Lookout, formerly Jay's Bird Barn, publishes a new article about wild birds and more every Thursday in The Daily Courier.

If you want to read his articles, they can be viewed directly on The Daily Courier’s website.

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The intelligence and ingenuity of wild birds

Over the last two weeks, I've had several opportunities to be a bird guide - both f...

Birding
Post-breeding dispersal behavior already underway

During breeding season, wild birds gravitate to their preferred habitat. For example,...

Birding
Up close and personal experiences with wild birds

I had two unusual experiences this past week with wild birds that decided an open doo...

Birding
Urban birding opportunities abound right in town

This past week our son, Merritt, and his family, who reside in Oklahoma, visited us f...

Birding
Awareness leads to unexpected experiences in nature

This past Saturday, as I was spending time out in my yard doing yardwork, I was visit...

Birding
Birding trip to southern Sonora, Mexico

Last year, before the COVID- 19 pandemic gripped our nation, I signed up for a birdin...

Birding
The month of May is an exceptional time to go birding

Each year I donate a 'Bird Walk with Eric Moore' to the Highland Center for Natural H...

Birding
Migration activity in high gear as World Migratory Bird Day approaches

Did you know that the second Saturday of May each year is designated as World Migrato...

Birding
Fascinating hummingbird nesting behavior revealed

Recently, on a Jay's Bird Barn (now The Lookout)- sponsored guided bird walk, I disco...

Birding
Celebrating Earth Day by looking back on my love affair with birds

Today is Earth Day, a day dedicated to protecting and preserving our world. I hope yo...

Birding
A 'Big Day' filled with birding

Between Friday and Saturday of this past week, I packed in a lot of birding and saw w...

Birding
Spring migration in the Arizona Central Highlands

Spring migration is in full swing, and nowhere is this more evident than at our local...

Birding
Spring - the perfect time to create a bird-friendly yard

I categorize our customers into groups - field birders and casual, backyard birders. ...

Birding
Spring has arrived, and so have 'our' spring birds

Earlier this week, my wife and I went on a walk in Watson Woods. Almost as soon as we...

Birding
It's a sure sign of spring - turkey vultures are back!

Interestingly, our store is situated between two cemeteries. Directly behind the back...

Birding
2021 Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival

I, for one, am hopeful for a more 'normal' non- COVID life in 2021, and see the retur...

Birding
Nesting GHO in my yard

Over the years I've written on several occasions about the ravens that nest in our ya...

Birding
A common bird with an uncommon penchant for meat

Between Friday and Saturday of this past week, I packed in a lot of birding and saw w...

Birding
My Great Backyard Bird Counting birding day in Phoenix

One of the guidelines for participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count is that you ...

Birding
Community Nature Center can use the community's support

A few weeks ago, a customer came up with a unique way to thank me and my store manage...

Birding
Wild bird survival during severe winter storm conditions

The weather this past week has been simply amazing. To go from virtually no precipita...

Birding
Successful day of birding in Valley of the Sun

If you were to ask me, "What is your favorite birding destination in the Phoenix metr...

Birding
What to do if you discover a dead bird in your yard

Over the last few weeks I have heard a few reports of individuals finding deceased pi...

Birding
Look, it's a plane, no wait, it's a sandhill crane!

As the owner of a backyard wild bird and nature store, I hear a lot of "bird reports"...

Birding
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about the owner

My interest in birds began when I was very young. By the time I was five years old I was fascinated with birds and watched them at feeders in my parent’s yard in Massachusetts.

At the age of 13, I joined the Tucson chapter of the National Audubon Society. When I lived in Utah, I participated in the Utah County Birders Club (there was not an Audubon chapter in Provo). I have been associated with the Prescott chapter of the National Audubon Society for the past eleven years and have served on the board of directors and as the publicity chair.

I have led bird walks, been in charge of the Spring Migratory Bird Count, and I have participated in the Christmas Bird Count in Tucson, Provo, and Prescott for a time period spanning 30 years. I consider myself to be an excellent birder. Birding is more than a hobby for me–it is a passion.

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