High Country Mercantile, Inc.

06/03/2026

04/24/2026

https://projectwildbird.net/2026/04/20/2026-feeder-bird-of-the-year-northern-flicker/

2026 Feeder Bird of the Year: Northern FlickerThe 2026 Feeder Bird of the Year determined the most popular backyard bird of the year through comment votes via Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn! The bird with the most votes that is now crowned the 2026 Feeder Bird of the Year is the Northern Flicker!...

04/09/2026

04/05/2026

The birdie charcuterie!

04/02/2026

The most versatile singer in North America isn’t the mockingbird.

It’s the brown thrasher.

1️⃣ The brown thrasher can produce over 1,100 distinct song phrases—one of the largest repertoires of any North American bird
2️⃣ That’s far more than a mockingbird, which typically knows 200+ phrases
3️⃣ Each phrase is usually sung twice before switching (mockingbirds often repeat phrases 3–5 times)
4️⃣ Its songs are long, varied, and constantly shifting—rarely delivered the same way twice
5️⃣ It blends mimicry with its own variations, creating rich, complex performances

And almost no one notices.

Because it’s brown. Quiet. Hidden in dense shrubs.

Brown thrasher facts:
→ State bird of Georgia—the only state to honor this species
→ Fierce nest defender—will confront cats, dogs, snakes, and even people
→ Both parents share incubation and feeding duties
→ A ground forager that “thrashes” through leaf litter with its bill
→ Populations are declining as dense, shrubby habitats are cleared

Right now, in early spring, brown thrashers are returning from their southern wintering grounds.
And they’re starting to sing—from the highest perch they can find.

If you hear a fast, complex song coming from a thicket—delivered in paired phrases—that’s likely him.

The most skilled musician in your neighborhood isn’t on Spotify.

He’s on a fence post.

And he’s been overlooked his entire life.

03/20/2026

The equinox fired this morning. Here's what it just unlocked for the next 30 days.

WEEK 1 — MARCH 21-27:
Osprey return to nest platforms across the mid-Atlantic. Males calling. Females arriving. Check the nearest platform — they're back.

Tree Swallows commit to nest boxes. If you have a box with a 1½-inch hole, expect a metallic blue-green bird inspecting it every morning.

Woodcock sky dance hits peak intensity. Every evening at dusk. Every open field near woods. Peak week for displays.

Dawn chorus expands to 10+ species. New voices every morning.

WEEK 2 — MARCH 28-APRIL 3:
Brown Thrasher arrives in force. 1,100 songs. Doubles every phrase. You'll hear him before you see him.

Eastern Towhee: "Drink your tea." From the underbrush. Every morning. The most persistent song of April.

Barn Swallow scouts reach the mid-Atlantic. Looking for last year's mud nest under your eave.

Fox kits make their first appearance outside the den. Dawn and dusk. Twenty-one to twenty-eight days old.

WEEK 3 — APRIL 4-10:
WARBLER WAVE BEGINS. Yellow-rumped, Palm, Pine, Black-and-white. Check trees before 8 AM. Canopy still open — the visibility window.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird main wave arrives Northeast. Feeders should be up. Four parts water, one part sugar, no dye.

Baltimore Oriole scouts. Listen for a slow clear whistle unlike any bird you know. Put out orange halves.

WEEK 4 — APRIL 11-17:
Warbler peak. Fifteen to twenty species possible in a single morning at the right spot.

Canopy closing. The visibility window for warblers narrows daily. By April 20 they disappear into the leaves.

Earth Day — April 22. Everything you set up this month is the foundation.

The equinox was the trigger. The next 30 days is the response. Your yard is about to change faster than at any other point in the year.

02/06/2026

01/05/2026