|
|||||||
WINTER, 2004
TOP 10 THINGS ALL BIRD WATCHERS NEED
We at The Wildlife Authority talk to many customers about enjoying wildlife and nature in their backyards. Many people want to know what they can do to enhance their bird watching pleasure. Here’s what we suggest:
Offer a variety of feeders.
It’s simple— more types of feeders attract more species of birds. Here are a few options—tube, hopper,
platform, satellite, thistle, suet cake, peanut, mealworm and hummingbird
feeders. In nearly every category,
Droll Yankee is our #1 brand name recommendation as they are guaranteed for
life and “simply work best”. (See our
coupon in this newsletter). Ask your
staff about which feeders attract the birds you desire.
- Use baffles. Baffles keep non-bird critters—raccoons, squirrels, snakes, etc.—from gaining access to feeders and bird houses. For those of you who are battling squirrels at your feeders, a good system of baffled feeders can eliminate squirrel problems entirely.
Keep your seed in a metal seed storage unit. Whether it’s a plain galvanized can, a
decorative model or the Zena Works Hanging Seed Holders with the flow spout,
getting seed out of the bag makes for fresher seed and easier access.
Keep a back yard bird journal. It’s great fun to keep a list and document when the juncos
arrived last fall, or when the wrens and bluebirds started nesting. We have ready-made nature journals as well
as computer software to make is easy for you.
Put out nest boxes. It
is very satisfying to be a landlord for the birds. The Wildlife Authority carries a wide variety of
houses and can advise you where to mount them for each species desired. Put nest boxes up now so that they are
available in February and March when many species begin looking for spring
nesting sites.
- Have a good pair of binoculars handy. Successful backyard birdwatchers keep their binoculars in a convenient, familiar place for quick and easy access.
- Keep a quality field guide handy. There is a bit of time—a few golden moments, just after the sighting of an unknown bird during which you can clearly recall the important field marks you’ve just seen. The Wildlife Authority has every guide available, including the Kauffman, Peterson, Stokes and Sibley Field Guides.
Use bird song tapes and CDs.
They can help you quickly identify a call or song. We recommend CDs because they last longer
and are quicker to fast-forward to a specific bird. The Bird Identiflyer is a fantastic hand held device that comes
with 2 cards featuring 20 different backyard bird songs. Additional cards are available that target
habitats. Be sure to try out our demo
model on your next visit.
- Provide baths with moving water in the summer and heated water in the winter (we have a coupon in this newsletter). It’s a great way to attract more birds.
- Provide TOP QUALITY SEED. Many grocery store and garden mixes are full of fillers (milo, wheat, etc) that the birds don’t like. They push these seeds out of the way so a lot of it ends up on the ground. Black Oil Sunflower is the #1 favorite of all of the seed eating birds. Our Wild Delight mixes are especially attractive with added fruit and nuts. Try to follow these top 10 suggestions and we feel you and your family will enjoy your backyard birds even more!
THE
BLAZING RED CARDINAL
Regal,
Respected & Truly Loved
While the cardinal may be best known for it’s flash of color in garden and woodland, have you ever found one of it’s feathers on the ground? Blue jays and robins shed their feathers like so much fall foliage, but cardinals just might be the greatest protectors of their princely robes in the feathered kingdom.
As one of the most recognized songbirds in North America, cardinals also could be known for their virtues; they are monogamous and remain together throughout the year. They aid in pest control, feeding on such insects as potato beetles, cotton boll weevils and the cucumber beetle. They may be economically valuable because of their weed seed consumption, eating at least one hundred kinds in the wild.
At
your feeder, cardinals prefer black oil sunflower or safflower seeds. They roll the seed around with their tongue
until it is sideways in their strong, cone-shaped bill. Then they crack it open and eject the hull
before swallowing the meat of the seed.
Cardinals approach the feeder with an attitude, as if aware of their
royal heritage. They do not suffer the
chatter of neighboring sparrows or the infighting of house finches but dine with
their mate in majestic splendor.
The word “cardinal” originally meant important, and was applied to the official rank in the Catholic Church. Cardinal became associated with the bright red robes and the pointed hat of that office. Early American naturalists, seeing the red bird with the pointed crest for the first time, were reminded of the church official and so named the bird the cardinal.
During the winter, the male cardinal tries to dominate at the feeder, but his mate usually ignores him and goes right on eating. In the spring, however, male cardinals have the delightful habit of feeding hulled seeds to the female as part of their courtship. It often occurs at feeders and is endearing to watch. He hops over to her, tilts his head sideways and places the tidbit in her bill. Cardinals breed from March through August, with up to four broods in a season. While the female begins her next nest, her mate takes on the feeding responsibilities for the last brood. Their nests are built with a base of twigs and bark strips, lined with rootlets and located in dense thickets several feet off the ground. The female builds her nest unassisted and does all the egg incubation, but her mate sometimes will bring her food as she nests. An average clutch of eggs is three or four. The white, gray or pale green eggs are speckles with brown and gray.
Named the official state bird in seven states, the northern cardinal is a permanent resident throughout the east to the western edge of the Great Plains and deep into Mexico. Populations persist in stream zones in southern Arizona. It also has been introduced into California, Hawaii and Bermuda.
In John James Audubon’s day (1785 to 1851), the cardinal was considered a southern bird, rarely seen as far north as Pennsylvania. Its successful expansion is due perhaps to more people feeding birds in their backyards.
Cardinals are non-migratory and early in life will choose a year round territory, often not far from their parents. In summer, they are spread evenly about, each pair in a separate territory. But in winter they are likely to gather into flocks, visiting feeders at one time, especially where the birds are numerous. Winter flocks may contain 30 or more birds.
They
live generally in areas where there are both trees and berry producing
shrubs. These includes forest edges,
old fields and suburban neighborhoods.
Plants in your yard best suited for cardinal food and shelter include
spruce, dogwood, wild cherry, elderberry, pyracantha and viburnum.
Males are bright red, crested and have a black throat and face. Females are a duller reddish brown. Adults of both sexes have a bright red bill, but the bills of juveniles are brown.
Cardinals have an impressive repertoire of songs, which consist of a variety of loud whistles. Slurred notes are the common quality. Both sexes sing, but the female song is usually quieter and simpler than the male’s.
The cardinal is the only species to have both professional baseball and football teams names for it!
 | ||||||||||||||||||
|
Holiday Cards
ASK TOM
BIRDS SLEEP WHERE THEY SPEND THEIR DAYS
| Q. | Where do birds sleep? |  |
| A. |  Generally, most songbirds sleep, or roost, in the same kind of habitat in which they spend their days. Some roosts contain just one species but they frequently are mixed. Chickadees often roost in conifers; they perch near the trunk for protection from the wind. Nuthatches and tufted titmice roost in tree holes, the same for downy woodpeckers. Bluebirds roost in nest boxes; sometimes several together. The known record is 25 eastern bluebirds in a box. A roosting box contains individual perches for the birds to use and features the entry hole near the bottom of the box to minimize heat loss. |
|
| Q. | The squirrels have taken over my feeders. Any suggestions for squirrel proof feeders? |  |
| A. | The Yankee Flipper is my favorite! The weight-activated perch allows the birds to feed, but starts spinning under the weight of the squirrel. He is literally “flipped” from the feeder! The rechargeable battery controlling the spinning motion works for approximately 3 months (depending on how may “flips” it must perform). Simply bring in the feeder and recharge the battery overnight for the next 3 month period. The squirrels have given up in our yard and avoid it altogether! We also carry the non-battery models—The Whipper, Dipper and Tipper which feature a steel cable weight-activation which collapses with the weight of the squirrel to prevent them from “raiding” the bird seed. We have also had great feedback from the Squirrel Buster and the Squirrel Blocker feeders. | |
| Q. | We would like to see the birds up close. Any suggestions for window feeders? |   |
| A. | The Wildlife Authority has a number of feeders that use suction cups that stick to the outside of your window. We also have some models for double hung windows that attach with a tension rod to the outside frame. You just raise the window to fill them—no need to go out in the cold! Additionally, we have several models that fit into your window frame and allow the birds to “come into your room” to feed. You raise the window to invite the birds in and watch the activity through a two-way mirror. The birds can’t see into the room so they don’t startle with sudden movements. These feeders come with weather stripping. You can also lower and lock the window behind the feeder for security purposes! |
THE
FOLLOWING COUPONS ARE LIMITED TO ONE SET PER HOUSEHOLD, PER ISSUE
Click for Printer-Friendly Coupons
HOWARD HAPPENINGS
Winter
can be an exciting time to watch your feeders. Periods of bad weather will bring in unusual species—watch for
Towhees, Waxwings, Brown Thrashers and Crossbills when the snow and ice
arrives. In past years, we have had
Orioles and Warblers winter in the county.
Last year we had a female Painted Bunting visiting feeders here in
Ellicott City. Perhaps this will be an
“invasion” year and Common Redpolls will be spotted. Be sure you have the feeders filled and a reliable water source
available.
Watch
for Purple finches and Pine Siskins—they have already been spotted at finch
feeders this fall! Yellow-Bellied
Sapsuckers are also here. Listen at
dusk and early morning for the Great Horned Owls calling. They are establishing territories and
courting.
HOLIDAY
GREETINGSThe
holiday season is upon us; it is the time of joy and thanksgiving. We would like to thank you, our customers,
for all of your support. We appreciate
your patronage and wish you all the joys of the season.
Tom, Cathy, Bonnie, Diane, Jaime and Michele.
EASY
CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA! BACK BY POPULAR DEMANDA top-quality Christmas seed wreath thatBirds and people will love! A great gift idea for teachers, co-workers, neighbors—or get one for yourself!
Stock up now, they’re only $10.99
 |
Wildlife Authority Hours: OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Sunday, 12 noon - 4 p.m. |