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Stokes Birds At Home: Season Two Episodes
 | Ruby-throated
Hummingbird |
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Episode 201: Trees for birds, Heron identification, Florida’s Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Bald Eagles
Don recommends several trees that successfully attract birds. Don and Lillian then show viewers how to identify the six kinds of white Herons. Next, join Don and Lillian on a breathtaking tour of beautiful Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge near Cape Canaveral, Florida, where Herons, Wood Storks and Clapper Rails feed in the ponds and flocks of Black Skimmers glide over the waves. Birds are silhouetted against a golden sunset followed by a close up of the full moon rising. The episode concludes with soaring views of our majestic national symbol, the Bald Eagle.
Episode 202: Sunflower for birds, Stokes garden tour, Minnesota’s Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge, Least Bitterns
Lillian shows how to bring avian customers flocking to the feeders by serving their favorite dish—sunflower seed! Next the Stokes give viewers a tour of their garden in spring where Tree Swallows are nesting. Don and Lillian then tell how to identify dark-colored Herons followed by the first of a special two-part Minnesota birding journey. There, Don and Lillian discover a grassland area where the rare Chestnut-collared Longspur is displaying on its breeding territory. They then visit scenic, wooded, Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge, dripping with Golden-winged, Chestnut-sided, and Yellow Warblers. The episode ends with a look at the elusive Least Bittern.
Episode 203: Putting up safe birdhouses, the amazing Anhinga, Minnesota’s Hamden Slough National Wildlife Refuge, Secretive Clapper Rails
Don shows viewers how to put up birdhouses and keep them safe from predators. Next comes an up close look at the family life of the Anhinga, the amazing water bird known as the "piano bird" because of its black and white coloring. In the second part of their Minnesota birding journey, Don and Lillian join some birders from the Detroit Lakes Festival of Birds and visit Hamden Slough National Wildlife Refuge in the "prairie pothole" region of the state. They discover Red-necked Phalaropes, Least Sandpipers, and Yellow-headed Blackbirds in the "pothole" ponds and Clay-colored, Vesper, and Savannah Sparrows in the prairie grasses. A high point comes when the beautiful and rare Le Conte’s Sparrow serenades the birders. At the end of the episode, Don and Lillian take time to watch that elusive marshbird, the Clapper Rail.
Episode 204: Squirrel-proofing bird feeders, nesting habitats of birds, Massachusetts’ Mt. Auburn Cemetery, endangered Wood Storks
Stop squirrels in their tracks from robbing bird feeders. Lillian gives practical tips on how to out-foil these furry robbers. Next, Don and Lillian teach viewers why habitats are so important to birds and what species are found in various habitats. Garden-like Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts is a premiere spring bird-watching site. Join Don and Lillian as they witness the parade of migrants such as American Redstarts, Magnolia, Black-throated Green and Blackburnian Warblers perched in the flowering trees. Later, its time to relax and watch that exotic endangered species, the Wood Stork, feed at dusk.
Episode 205: Birds enjoy berries, nesting Song Sparrows, shorebird identification, all about Purple Martins, watching Black Skimmers
Don shows how to attract birds by planting dogwoods, blackberries, and viburnums. Next, Don and Lillian show viewers Day Lillies blooming in their garden and discover a Song Sparrow nesting in a rosebush. In part one of shorebird identification, Don and Lillian give tips on identifying common large shorebirds. Then its Purple Martin time as Don and Lillian describe how viewers can attract these beautiful, large, insect-eating swallows with the right birdhouses. The show closes with a special look at Black Skimmers, birds who feed by skimming along the water with their bills grazing the surface.
Episode 206: A balcony bird garden, more shorebird identification, Florida’s Wakodahatchee Birding Spot, the dancing Reddish Egret
Birds can easily be attracted to even small areas of your property. Lillian creates a balcony bird garden of flowers, bird feeders, and birdbaths. Concluding their feature on shorebird identification, Lillian and Don tackle identifying small shorebirds. Next, join the Stokes on a visit to a very beautiful birding spot called Wakodahatchee, a Seminole Indian word meaning "created waters," in Palm Beach County, Florida. Amazingly, the water utilities department has created a 50-acre wetland that helps cleanse two million gallons of treated wastewater a day and it’s a spectacular place to see birds. Finally, our hosts take time out to watch the Reddish Egret as it dances in the water.
Episode 207: Birdbaths, how birds molt, the North American Bluebird Society National Convention and a birding trip to Illinois, Sanderlings
Water attracts birds like a magnet. Don shows how to choose bird baths and add drippers and misters. Next, the Stokes take a fascinating look at why, when, and how birds molt their feathers. Don and Lillian then take a birding trip to northern Illinois. First, they attend the North American Bluebird Society’s annual convention, then visit the largest remaining tract of prairie in the state at the Savannah Army Depot. These grasslands are home to 2,000 nesting pairs of Grasshopper Sparrows as well as the rare Upland Sandpiper. Finally, viewers take a moment to watch amusing Sanderlings chase the waves. To learn more about bluebirds and the North American Bluebird Society go to:
http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/
Episode 208: The magic of Hummingbirds
 | Rufous
Hummingbird male |
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An entire episode is devoted to those winged jewels, the hummingbirds. Don and Lillian demonstrate the very best ways to attract Hummingbirds to your property, then give a basic course in Hummingbird identification. Next, travel to heart of Hummingbird country, Southeast Arizona, to see 12 species ranging from the large Magnificent and Blue-throated Hummingbird to the tiny, feisty, Rufous Hummingbird. Highlights feature the rare Violet-Crowned Hummingbird feeding babies at the nest.
Episode 209: Build a birdhouse, identify birdsongs, visit a butterfly house, Purple Gallinule
Don goes into the wood working shop and demonstrates how to build an easy birdhouse. Next, Don and Lillian teach viewers how to identify common birds by their songs. The Stokes then visit The Butterfly Place, an indoor butterfly aviary where butterflies literally land on their shoulders. Finally, viewers are treated to a bird-watching time-out to look at the brilliantly colored Purple Gallinule.
Episode 210: Bird photography, how birds build nests, Project Puffin, Harris’ Sparrow.
Lillian begins the episode by giving viewers her best tips on how to take great photographs of backyard birds. Next, Don and Lillian take a fascinating look at the intricate way birds construct their nests. Then its off to a rocky Maine island to see some of America’s most intriguing birds, Atlantic Puffins, those adorable parrots of the sea. They are making a comeback thanks to Project Puffin, headed by Steven Kress of the National Audubon Society. Finally, the Stokes take a special moment to watch the beautiful Harris’ Sparrow. To learn more about Puffins and how you can help them go to:
http://www.audubon.org/bird/puffin/
Episode 211: What’s new in bird feeding, family life of the Great Blue Heron, Virginia’s Eastern Shore Birding Festival, Florida Scrub Jays
Lillian and Don introduce viewers to some of the newest trends in bird feeding followed by a fascinating look at the family life of one of America’s largest Herons, the Great Blue. Don and Lillian also journey to Virginia’s Eastern Shore Birding Festival and see Caspian Terns, Herons, and migrating Hawks and Warblers. A bird-watching moment at the episode’s close captures the inquisitive Florida Scrub Jay.
Episode 212: Oriole extravaganza
 | Bullocks
Oriole, male |
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An entire episode dedicated to those captivating, flame-colored birds, Orioles. Don and Lillian demonstrate how to attract Orioles with the right feeders and plantings. Next comes an up close look at Oriole lives and behavior with some frame filling shots of a Baltimore Oriole weaving its incredible, hanging nest. Don and Lillian give a quick course on identifying the common species of American Orioles, then take time to watch a beautiful Hooded Oriole sip nectar from some Red-Hot Poker flowers.
Episode 213: The scoop on birdseed, Brown Pelicans, an Arizona birding trip, Swallow-tailed Kites.
Different birds prefer different kinds of birdseed. Lillian gives viewers the scoop on which kinds of seeds please avian palates. Next is an encounter with that comical fisherman, the Brown Pelican, who dives for fish headfirst. Follow Don and Lillian on a birding trip to Arizona’s southern mountains where they see Hepatic Tanagers, Acorn Woodpeckers, and encounter Sally Spofford, the "Bird Lady of Portal." The episode closes with a unique moment as the striking Swallow-tailed Kite sails overhead.
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