{"id":12618,"date":"2026-04-20T09:47:52","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T13:47:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/?p=12618"},"modified":"2026-04-20T11:10:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T15:10:32","slug":"the-birds-are-returning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/the-birds-are-returning\/","title":{"rendered":"The Birds are Returning"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Spring Welcomes our Feathered Friends<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here in western Michigan, the sun is finally making an appearance and the winter&#8217;s cold is fading. That signals the time for the migrating birds to make their way back to our northern location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>Reaching back to Christmas, my wife received a gift that is perfect for this warming weather.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s called <strong>BirdBuddy<\/strong>. <br><br>This is a bird feeder with addition of a built-in camera. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She was anxious to see how it works but we thought it best to wait until the weather was more hospitable to the both the birds and to me (I&#8217;d have to get it working in the cold).<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9660-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12619 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9660-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9660-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9660-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9660-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9660-300x400.jpg 300w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9660.jpg 1875w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The BirdBuddy has a solar panel roof to power the camera. While we&#8217;ve used it only a few days, we&#8217;re not sure if the panel will charge the unit without having to use conventional USB charging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The camera has a motion sensor to start recording when a bird (or other animal) approaches the unit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9658-3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9658-3-800x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12620\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9658-3-800x1024.jpg 800w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9658-3-234x300.jpg 234w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9658-3-768x983.jpg 768w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9658-3-1201x1536.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9658-3-1601x2048.jpg 1601w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9658-3-300x384.jpg 300w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9658-3.jpg 1954w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9659.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"697\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9659-697x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12621\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9659-697x1024.jpg 697w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9659-204x300.jpg 204w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9659-768x1129.jpg 768w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9659-1045x1536.jpg 1045w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9659-1393x2048.jpg 1393w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9659-300x441.jpg 300w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9659.jpg 1701w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 697px) 100vw, 697px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Assembly is simple &#8211; snap the front and rear feed walls to the blue platform, attach the roof,  insert the camera unit front facing into its slot and add some bird feed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After downloading the BirdBuddy app from the internet you set up an account with your email address and finally connect the unit to your wi-fi network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>When we had it assembled and were ready to go, we hung the unit in the backyard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sure enough an hour later we had a feathered visitor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The BirdBuddy app notified us and sent this message with a picture of the unidentifed bird.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When we clicked <em>Identify this visitor<\/em> we were told that the bird is a <strong>House Finch<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"471\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9666-471x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12622 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9666-471x1024.png 471w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9666-138x300.png 138w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9666-768x1669.png 768w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9666-707x1536.png 707w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9666-943x2048.png 943w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9666-300x652.png 300w, https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9666-scaled.png 1178w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 471px) 100vw, 471px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>We were both surprised that BirdBuddy actually records a video when the motion detector kicks in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s a short clip of the House Finch munching on some seeds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"540\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 960 \/ 540;\" width=\"960\" controls src=\"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/6313a3bb-1e5f-4746-ac0e-fb2ce06108f9.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;re happy that this BirdBuddy is now ready to serve up more sightings as Spring continues to bring more visitors back to Michigan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re interested find more information about <a href=\"https:\/\/mybirdbuddy.com\" title=\"\">BirdBuddy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Written by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Arnie Lee<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spring Welcomes our Feathered Friends Here in western Michigan, the sun is finally making an appearance and the winter&#8217;s cold is fading. That signals the time for the migrating birds to make their way back to our northern location. Reaching back to Christmas, my wife received a gift that is perfect for this warming weather. &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/the-birds-are-returning\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">The Birds are Returning<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[29,171,413,2,116,27,31,135],"tags":[956,636,129],"class_list":["post-12618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-equipment","category-informational","category-movie","category-personal","category-photograph","category-reviews","category-techniques","category-video","tag-birdbuddy","tag-birds","tag-spring"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12618","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12618"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12618\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12628,"href":"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12618\/revisions\/12628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12618"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12618"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arnielee.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12618"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}