February 2014 - Songbird Station
Transcription
February 2014 - Songbird Station
d r i b g n n N o o S Stati EWS February 2014 Stories • Specials • Events and More to Help Your Family Enjoy Birding! Enjoy Nature in Your Backyard in 2014 Many of us make resolutions as we enter each new year. Few people have “too little” stress in their lives. It’s our hope at Songbird Station that in 2014 we can help your family create and enjoy a “sanctuary” in your backyard to help relax and relieve stress. Also, in our fast-moving, tech-savvy society, getting children involved with nature instead of just an electronic device can be incredibly fun and rewarding for all. Watching the courtship and nesting activities of the “love birds” in your yard can be a fun and educational process for the young and old alike. In this issue and next, we’ll cover ways you can get more of the birds you love to choose your property to raise a family. Check out page 3 for great tips on attracting and helping Bluebirds and page 2 for Purple Martins. With our new Purple Martin Conservation Association endorsed gourds, it’s now possible to start a high quality Martin Colony on a small budget! We cover these 2 species in this issue as Bluebirds begin courtship in February and nesting in March-April and Martins arrive from Brazil in March and nest in April/May depending on the weather. Don’t miss our Martin and Bluebird Seminars. (Details on page 8). I mentioned children love technology. I want to quickly mention a couple new “techie” products at Songbird Station Hawk-Eye Wireless Spy Camera that can help BCAMHEW young and old alike enjoy “up close” the sights and sounds of God’s creation around us. We now have a “wireless” device that you can put in birdhouses, Martin gourds, etc. to see and hear nesting, feeding, etc. on your T.V. or computer! We also have inexpensive devices that turn your cell phone into a camera to photo birds, bugs, etc. close Lens Adapter up and far away! Come CARSONML415 in and check them out. Maybe as a first step in getting your “young tech” to enjoy nature ask for their help installing and using these devices. This is a great way to enjoy Tips to Attracting Purple Martins Tips to Attracting Bluebirds time with your grandchildren or The Great Backyard Bird Count / Fun Facts children while introducing them to Kid’s Corner nature! GiGi’s Pet Boutique Speaking of nesting and Ask Bird Man Mel children, make sure you check out Upcoming Events Look Inside • • • • • • • Grant’s article on page 3 as kits are great kid’s projects. Many of you have seen the T.V. ad that is selling a Made in China “Window Mount” nest box. As we mentioned in last month’s newsletter (before the commercial started), our Made in the Midwest USA Songbird Essentials line of products contains 3 different Window Nest View Birdhouses. Come in and we’ll help you pick which is best for you and where and how to mount and view it. We’ll also help you learn the types of birds that will actually use such a box (in the Peek-A-Boo T.V. ad much shown Plastic Window Birdhouse is recreations and SE906 in most cases you won’t attract some of the birds shown to a Window Nest Box.) We totally agree with their communication that observing nesting up close is a great family activity. Another fantastic way to enjoy nature as a family is to participate in Cornell’s Great Backyard Bird Count (info on page 8). Also, why not take the family on the Columbia Audubon Society “Great Backyard Bird Crawl” on February 15th (details on page 8). It’s our hope that 2014 will be the year that you, your family, and loved ones can “unwind”, destress and enjoy nature instead of technology. As Bird Man Mel includes on all of his emails, “Nature is a stress reliever from God. Take time today to listen to the birds sing!” Tips for Attracting Purple Martins Migration • Martins are migratory birds that travel to South America during the winter months leaving a small window for Landlords to attract their prospective tenants, so time is of the essence! • The map provided below details the arrival of scouts to the areas. Purple Martins will be in the area to settle once scouts are seen for 6-8 weeks. • Martins travel in groups mainly centralizing in a few locations right before their migration dates then all mainly rendezvous at one spot for final departure. By: Grant Toellner PMCA Excluder™ Ultimate Gourds Songbird Essentials is also proud to introduce the newest addition to our Purple Martin product line! • Thickest model gourd on the market • $.75-$1.00 from each gourd sold goes to PMCA for Martin preservation and research • First patented Starling-PROOF entrance hole design! • Sturdy front and inner porch included with each gourd! Round Entrance SE953 Crescent Modified Excluder Entrance Entrance SE954 SE955 Excluder II Entrance SE956 More Purple Martin Housing Options Where Should you Put Martin Houses? Martins have very specific aerial space requirements. Housing should be placed in the center of the most open spot available, about 30-120 feet from human housing. There should be no trees taller than the martin housing within 40 feet, preferably 60 feet. Generally, the farther the housing is placed from trees, the better. Check out our Lonestar aluminum houses that offer: • Easy interchangeable doors • Optional removable nest trays • Fully insulated 6x6x12 inch compartments • Staggered entrances to reduce dominant behavior in male martins • Heavy gauge heat resistant aluminum • Top of the line in Aluminum Martin Houses • Visit www.birdmanmel.com for videos of our industry-leading porches that allow easy feeding of live mealworms. Don’t miss the Purple Martin Seminar on March 9th! Problem Solvers Are Purple Martins not stopping by your yard? Try these Purple Martin decoys (HEATHPMD1) while playing HEATHPMD1 your PMCA Dawnsong cd. It works like a duck call and duck decoy. Protecting your Martins from owls is important. Some suggest using an owl guard like the one made for the Excluder gourd. SE957 (SE957) 2 Have Martins filled all the gourds available on your gourd rack? Using the Songbird Essentials Starter Gourd Pole (SE968) and Expansion Kit (SE969) will double the size of your pole and double your fun! You must control sparrows and SE968 & SE969 starlings to have a successful Martin Colony. Use the Songbird Essentials Sparrow and Starling trap (SEST1) to humanely rid your yard of unwanted guests. SEST1 Stay Out of the Cold and Get Ready to Spring into Nesting Season By: Grant Toellner With the bitter cold Missouri has experienced the last few weeks it makes it almost impossible to be outside for long periods of time. You find yourself with all sorts of time inside and after a while it is hard to find things to do. A great way to use this extra time inside is to get all of your spring and summer backyard bird items ready for spring. Sinclair Lewis is quoted as saying, “Winter is not a season, it’s an occupation.” Use this time to re-clean your hummingbird or oriole feeders to make sure you catch these visitors on the first pass through. I always find myself scrambling around Tax Day searching and digging for my hummingbird feeders in the garage, making sure they are cleaned and ready to go. Why wait until then when you can get a jump now. If you don’t have a brush kit from Songbird Essentials, I recommend Best Combo Brush Set trying one because it makes the whole cleaning process so much easier. SE607 Kids Bird Log The small brush easily can clean small ports on your hummingbird or oriole AP61553 feeders, and the large brush is long enough to reach the top of the bottles of the feeders. Winter is also a great time to get the kids involved and there are lots of inside activities to do involving birding. A favorite activity I enjoyed growing up was assembling and putting together a birdhouse. There are tons of do-it yourself kits and ideas online, but if you are looking for a package with all the parts included, pick up one of the birdhouse kits from Songbird Essentials. You can choose from a wren, chickadee, bluebird, or even a bat house kit. All of the kits have the correct entrance holes and specifications required for each specific species. Grab some paint and brushes and let your kids or grandkids Bluebird House Kit SESC00605 decorate the outside to give it his or her own special touch. Make sure to also get the kids involved in the Great Backyard Bird Count in February. Pick up a Bird Log from Adventure Publications and they will have fun identifying and logging the different birds they see. For Book of Nature more great winter and nature activities pick up a copy of Book of Nature Projects from Stackpole Projects STACKSP11734806 Publishing. It is loaded with fun activities to do inside and outside the house. Tips to Attracting Bluebirds to Your Backyard By: Bird Man Mel Bluebirds are cavity nesters. Once common in rural and suburban areas, Bluebird populations declined by as much as 90% from 1920 - 1970. The decline was due to two things: The loss of nesting habitats, such as tree holes, rotted out fence posts and old orchards; and the introduction of the Starling and House Sparrow in the last half of the 1800’s. These two species, introduced from Europe, competed heavily with the Bluebird for existing nesting cavities. Utilization of a Sparrow trap is often critical to Bluebird breeding success. I also use a 22 rifle with birdshot to control non-nature English Sparrows and Starlings. Providing nest boxes is the #1 way to attract Bluebirds to your property. The key to attracting Bluebirds to nest in your yard is to have plenty of potential nesting locations, food and water. Bluebirds do prefer more “open area” so if your yard is heavily wooded you’ll enjoy many other nesting birds, but Ultimate Bluebird probably not Bluebirds. House Houses - Our (and the Bluebirds) favorite nesting box is the Songbird Essentials SESCS3004RW, SESCS3004RW Ultimate Nest Box. This box has: • Brass hinged doors on both sides to monitor the nest without the danger of chicks falling out. • Predator protector of solid copper to eliminate Squirrels and Woodpeckers from enlarging the entrance hole. • Elevated mesh floor to help protect the young chicks from Blowflies. • Zinc Chromate plated screws that provide a more sturdy, longer-lasting house than one assembled with nails. The screws will not “bleed”leaving unattractive stains below. • Made of long-lasting Cedar. Bag of SE641 Dried A last thought, we really recommend mounting your house on a steel Mealworms pole and putting a baffle on the pole to keep cats, snakes and other with purchase predators from killing your Bluebirds or destroying the nest. of Bluebird Songbird Station has other great books in our Bluebird Section. Enjoying Feeder Here’s to “Seeing Blue” in your backyard! Don’t miss our Bluebirds More Coupon Expires 3/15/14 BWD315 Bluebird Seminar on February 23!! FREE 3 The Great Backyard Bird Count By: Holly Seaver Songbird Station Manager The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual 4 day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to restore a real time snapshot of where the birds are. Everyone is welcome from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day or you can count as long and as often as you would like. It’s free, fun and easy and it helps the birds. You may print out a list of commonly seen birds in your area from the website as well. Participants tally the number of birds of each species they see during their count period then enter them on the GBBC website. You must set up a free GBBC account to submit your checklist. You only need to do this once to participate. As the count progresses, anyone with internet access can explore what is being reported. Pictures may also be submitted to the GBBC photo contest. A selection of images is posted in the online gallery. Why count birds? Scientists use the GBBC information, along with observations from other citizen-science projects, such as the Christmas Bird Count, project Feeder Watch and eBird to get a “big” picture of what is happening in bird populations. It helps to investigate questions such as: • How will the weather influence bird populations? • How will the timing of birds’ migrations compare to past years? • How are bird diseases, such as West Nile virus, affecting birds in different regions? • What kind of differences in bird diversity is apparent in cities versus suburban, rural, and natural areas? Songbird Station is going to be sponsoring a seminar prior to the GBBC, on Feb. 2nd, to help inform the public on how to participate, what you can expect to see in your backyard, and help with various types of feeders and seed choices to help attract birds to your yard. 10 Acres Wingman’s Fun Feather Facts Bluebird Cardinal Yellow-Rumped Warbler By: Grant Toellner Flocks of Juncos who migrate south here to Missouri will usually stay the entire winter within an area of about ten acres. Help out these winter visitors by putting up a seed bell by Pine Tree Farms. Juncos in my yard like the Mixed Seed Bell or the Black Oil Seed Bell. I use a Birdie Bell from Songbird Essentials to help hold it together. Carotenoids These pigments found in the food Cardinals eat help give them their beautiful, bright red plumage throughout the year. Songbird Station has all kinds of great gifts for Cardinal lovers including flags, mugs, and puzzles. One of my favorites is the Cardinal’s Rustic Retreat puzzle from SunsOut. Birdie Bell with Seed SEWF91011 (Seed Not Included) Bald Eagles, Blue Jays & Pileated Woodpeckers What these three birds have in common is all species are considered life-mates and stay with their partner typically until his or her partner passes away. I am guessing they don’t give their mate a Valentine’s Day present, but Songbird Station has great heartfelt gifts to show your “mate” your true love. A great gift to consider especially for Valentine’s Day is the Ruby Red Heart Shaped Feeder from Good Directions. Shade-Grown Coffee Coffee in the past was traditionally grown in the shade of other trees in the tropical forest, but recently, with the rise in popularity of coffee as a commodity, many farmers cleared their land of tropical canopy to plant coffee trees more densely. The canopy serves as critical habitat for many species, including migratory birds that land in the trees and eat insects that would otherwise make meals of the coffee trees below. Songbird Station supports shade-grown coffee and offers a variety of blends from Thanksgiving Coffee that are not only shade-grown, but fair trade and organic. 4 Cardinals Rustic Retreat 500 pc. Puzzle SUNSOUT30624 French Roast Ground 12 oz. SBCFRROASTG Fly-Thru Heart Ruby Red GOOD113R Kid’s Corner Brrr. It’s cold outside! The birds are eating like crazy at the feeders now. Do you have a By: Holly Seaver Songbird Station Manager window feeder or a feeder hanging by a window so you can view the birds? How many can you identify? Songbird Station has a new set of window clings that will help you identify the birds in your backyard and give you tips on how to attract new birds to your yard. Each page comes with window clings of 31 backyard birds specific for your area. When you first see the bird arrive at your window apply the birds’ picture to your viewing window. This will also help you quickly identify the names of your yard birds. On the back of Birds IView Window Clings the page it will show you the various seeds that are each birds favorite and GCBIWC25 the type of feeders that each bird prefers. If you and your family enjoy playing games on these cold winter nights, you might enjoy What Bird Am I? OM10225 the bird identification game “What Bird Am I?” This board game is designed for birdwatchers to test identification skills. The game includes 300 wild bird photographs from across the United States and Canada. How about science projects? I did one of these Toysmith science projects with my grandchildren over the holidays and it was fun! We have several to choose from including building a cosmic rocket to making a miniature solar oven, and water heater. On sale now! The Great Backyard Bird Count is February 14-17th. This is a program where you sit and count the birds at your feeders or yard for 15 minutes or more on one or more days. This info is submitted on the GBBC website and used for future research on birds. If you would like to get a class involved, or if you are a homeschooler, you may find more information on Clean Water Science TS4572 www.birdsource.org and go to the Educator’s materials tab. Songbird Station will be having a seminar to tell more about how to be involved in the program on Feb. 2nd. at 2:00 p.m. Crossword Puzzle Across 1. Keeps Snow White company when she whistles while she works. 2. Alfred Hitchcock movie, “The _____.” 5. “To Kill a ___________.” 9. Your Bird Lover Gift Source, featuring all your favorite feathered stars. 10. Batman’s sidekick. 11. Claymation movie featuring the voice of Mel Gibson as a Rooster. “_______ Run.” 13. Responsible for Harry Potter’s mail. 10% OFF Down 1. Burt Lancaster, “The _______ of Alcatraz.” 2. “The _______ Brief”, or bird offering safe passage to Nemo’s dad. 4. Katherine Hepburn’s character is obsessed with these in “On Golden Pond.” 5. Breathtaking documentary, “Winged ______.” 6. “One Flew Over the Cukoo’s ____.” 7. About a kids hockey team, “The Mighty _____.” 8. A “play” on Norman’s taxidermy obsession in “Psycho.” 10. A 1963 movie starring Boris Karloff, Vincent Price and Peter Lorre. 12. “Lady ____.” or “Black ____ Down.” 5 Games OUT99748 Coupon Expires 3/15/14 IMP6MGM 10% OFF Birds IView Stickers GCBIWC25 Coupon Expires 3/15/14 10% OFF Science Kits TS4571 TS3685 Coupon Expires 3/15/14 GiGi’s Pet Boutique By: Holly Seaver Songbird Station Manager The holidays can be a very busy time. People coming and going from your house, kids home for extended periods of time, and probably lots more noise, snacks, and late night hours. You may even have extended periods away from home if you traveled during the holidays. If we, as people, are exhausted, imagine what our pets experience. It’s a big upset to their daily routine and may take a little to get them back into the normal, everyday life they understand. If your dog is demanding a little more attention than usual, or seems a little depressed after the holidays, it is probably because of the disruption in their everyday schedules. In many cases if you can stick to a designated playtime or go for a walk on a routine time it will help get them back into sync. Hide-A-Squirrel KY2437 We may be tired after the holidays, but our pets need us to help establish that routine. Did your pet get a new toy, collar, coat, or leash for Christmas? If not, we have restocked our supply after the holidays so stop in and see what’s new! Favorites at GiGi’s seem to be the “smart” toys that make your pet think and work for a treat or to just get the toy out to play with. Another toy that has caught on in popularity has been the Rubba Tugs. This floatable toy is made for both tugging and fetching. For cats we have the mouse doorknob dangler that has been getting rave reviews from cat Rubba Tug Plush owners. Simply hang on your doorknob and this solo play toy will keep your cat entertained with KYRT01475 its long dangling legs and little bells. I was recently given a book titled “Why Do Dogs Do That?” So I thought in each newsletter I could share a bit of it with you. Since we are talking about new toys, I thought I would share “Why do dog’s pounce on their toys?” “Throw a toy for your puppy and watch her run after it. She pounces, takes the toy into her sharp little teeth and shakes it wildly. “Kill the toy!” You say with a laugh. And that’s exactly what you are seeing: the natural killing instinct in action. Our dogs have millions of years of programming hardwired into their brains: chase, pounce, bite, eat. Of course today most dogs have a more modern method of hunting: they wait patiently in the Mouse Doorknob Dangler kitchen, staring up with their big brown eyes as their evening meal is put into their JPI53047 dish. But instinct is not so easily put aside. It is said that a puppy’s play is their work. The pouncing action is the consummation of the chase response and appears in puppies between four to five weeks of age. It is one of the behaviors that a puppy practices to become a successful dog. Although the urge to track and kill prey is in most cases no longer necessary for canine survival, the behavior is innate. Since the dog has no prey upon which to practice she uses the next best thing; their toys.” 10% OFF 10% OFF 50% OFF Coats & Sweaters Car Carriers Select Collars KYOH05338 Coupon Expires 3/15/14 Coupon Expires 3/15/14 Coupon Expires 3/15/14 Crossword Puzzle Answers 6 1. 3. 5. 8. Across Bluebird Birds Mockingbird Falcon 9. SongbirdStation 10. Robin 11. Chicken 13. Owl 1. 2. 4. 5. Down Birdman Pelican Loons Migration 6. Nest 7. Ducks 8. Fowl 10. Raven 12. Hawk Ask Bird Man Mel When is Nest Box, Oriole, Martin & Hummer Time? Q. I’m sick of winter and ready for the birds of spring to return. Can you please remind me of the time line of what to do when? A. Fantastic question! Keep the below calender as an approximate schedule. • February - Bluebirds begin courtship and nest site selection. Owls are winding up their nesting. • March - Purple Martins return. Time to have all next boxes clean and up. • April 15th (Tax Day) - Be ready for Hummers! Bird Man Mel • May 1st (or a week/10 days earlier in warm spring) - Be ready for Owner of Orioles. Songbird Station Bluebirds Q. I know as birds migrate and feed, we’ve had them hit our windows. Any way to prevent? Window Feeder SESC78162 A. We’ll address in detail in our next issue. Many people find having feeders Window Hawk Transparent SE7015 close to or on a window help. Being close means they’re not flying at high speed if they fly into a window. Also, many people feel that decals like our Songbird Essentials Hawks greatly reduce collisions. With our Window Alert Hawk version, the birds can see the ultraviolet Hawk, but humans barely see it looking out. Q. I know I should clean out my Bluebird and Martin houses, but I don’t like touching the left over nests, etc. Any suggestions? A. A couple. Always be safe and wear gloves! Our Atlas gloves fit tight and are inexpensive. We have “take out trays” for Martin Houses that make cleaning a breeze. For Bluebirds, you could use our Nest Lift. When you remove it, it’s easy to clean out the nest on top. It also keeps nests dry and safe! Helps control Blow flies, parasites and other nesting problems. Also helps ensure more viable eggs hatch. Bellingham Glove Bamboo Liner w/ Rubber Palm ATLASC5301L Q. When it’s cold outside, I get lots more Starlings and they mob my suet and nutty seed cakes. Any suggestions? A. Absolutely! We now have 99% Starling Proof Suet and Seed Cake Saver Feeders that hold both. Try ‘em, they keep Starlings out and save suet costs. (They pay for themselves quickly!) We even have a kit that allows you to convert suet feeders for small cakes you already own. Secret - Hang them as high off the ground as you can. Q. I felt sorry for the birds during a snow storm and bought some bird seed. I’m disappointed most of it ended on the ground. Any suggestions? Songbird Finches Favorite 5 lb SEEDFINCH4 Largest Selection of Woodstock & Music of the Sphere Chimes SAVE 10% Missouri Field Guides Suet Saver Kit SE903 Coupon Expires 3/15/14 SAVE 10% Binoculars Special Blend 5 lb SEEDBLEND05 SAVE 10% Matching Spring Flags, Doormats, and Mailbox Covers SWCFR4221 AP61355 7 Suet Saver Feeder Large SE932 A. Two thoughts. 1. Many bird seed mixes sold in box stores are full of seeds birds don’t like or need to lower the price. Our mixes do not contain such seeds and at $16.95 for 40# Sunflower, will attract a lot for a few dollars. 2. A key is putting the right sort of seed in the right kind of feeders. Come in and our staff can help find the best seed for your feeders and environment. SAVE 10% MOTSPA Nest Lift SE6015 WOODBFC WFP1583551257 Coupon Expires 3/15/14 CARSONIC518 Coupon Expires 3/15/14 Coupon Expires 3/15/14 Bluebird Seminar Feb 23rd Details on This and other events inside! Getting Ready for the Bird Count Sunday, February 2nd at 2:00 pm Bill Mees, president of the Columbia Audubon Society, will explain how to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count February 14-17. Bill will also discuss what birds will most likely be seen at a backyard feeder. We will also show different types of feeders for various birds and the seed type that attracts various birds. We will have a drawing for a FREE feeder as well. Bluebird Seminar Sunday, February 23rd at 1:00 pm Always one of our biggest seminars of the year! Jim and Julie Lundsted will give us tips on how to attract and care for Bluebirds in our yards. The Missouri state bird is a favorite of many to watch nest and fledge their young. Field Trips Saturday March 8th & 22nd View Songbird Station website for details on the upcoming field trips. Café Songbird Purple Martin Seminar Join us for coffee, cookies, and conversation as we gather to discuss what we are seeing in our backyard or on the trails. It’s always a lively bunch with great stories to tell or questions to ask. Our little group is growing every month but we always have room for more! Join us for training day for beginning and experienced Martin landlords. Learn how to attract Martins to your yard, raise more young in your houses, control unwanted tenants like Sparrows and Starlings and prevent problems from predators like snakes and owls. In store specials on Purple Martin products to seminar attendees along with a drawing for a FREE PMCA Excluder Ultimate Gourd. Thursday, February 13th at 10:30 am GBBC Backyard Bird Feeder Crawl Saturday, February 15th You’ve heard of a Pub Crawl? Well, to help celebrate the 2014 GBBC, CAS is having a Backyard Bird Feeder Crawl! We’ll carpool to various backyard bird feeders in and around the Columbia area. At each backyard feeder we’ll count birds for 15 minutes or more, submit our checklist to eBird and then “crawl” to the next location. Meet at Songbird Station’s parking lot at 8 a.m. The trip will be 3-4 hours long and will return to Songbird Station for coffee and donuts. Reservations to seminars are not required, but suggested so we will have plenty of handouts and chairs for everyone. Refreshments will be provided. Sunday, March 9th at 2:00 pm Hummingbird & Oriole Seminar Sunday, March 30th at 2:00 pm View Songbird Station website for details on this seminar! Great Valentine’s Day Gifts Robin Goodfellow Jewelry GOOD113R Fly-Thru Heart Ruby Red If you would like to receive your newsletter via email and help our environment in the process, please email holly@songbirdstation.com with the email address you want us to send your newsletter to. ANCIENTAG87052 Large Hanging Heart STORE HOURS Monday - Friday 9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.