April Sale!

Suet Feeders on Sale!

As we make our way through spring, we are regularly asked if it is too late to continue to feed suet. To this we reply, “Never!” All of us here at the shop feed suet year round, even during the heat of summer. While birds will certainly consume suet during the depths of winter, spring can be an even busier time at the suet feeders as birds that are migrating through as well as raising young will devour suet, taking advantage of its high protein and fat content.

During the busiest feeding months; late April, May, June, and into July, you can see a fresh suet cake put out in the morning reduced to mere scraps by dusk. Suet really is that popular! Not only is it valued by your backyard regulars, it is also a great way of drawing birds not commonly seen at seed feeders to your feeding stations. Case in point; John feeds 3 pound blocks of suet year round, and during the summer months routinely has Summer Tanagers visiting his suet feeder. There are many more examples of birds visiting suet that would be unlikely to eat seed. Baltimore Orioles, warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and even Western Tanagers* have all been seen feeding on suet feeders!

 Sure, all this sounds good, but how do I feed suet? A suet feeder, fortunately for us, is one of the easiest ways to feed birds and creates less mess than seed feeders. We currently have 20 different types of suet feeders in stock, ranging from a utilitarian wire single cake holder that retails for $8.50, large Squirrel Buster weight activated suet feeders, caged models that will deter Starlings and Grackles, even natural models made from Red Cedar.

If you find yourself thinking that you might need a suet feeder now, (or need another one!) we’ve got you covered! Saturday, 04/12 through Friday, 04/18 all suet feeders will be on sale for 20% off!

ATZ Bluebird Box Sale!

We are now officially in Bluebird nesting season! If you don’t yet have a box out yet, it’s not too late. There is still plenty of time remaining to attract nesting Bluebirds! Remember, the Eastern Bluebird will nest up to three times between late March and late July, with some even starting nests as late as August. With this in mind, we decided to do a sale on our favorite houses! This week, Saturday 04/12 through Friday, 04/18, take 20% off the ATZ Classic and ATZ Classic Vented Bluebird Box. These boxes are handmade in Ohio from durable kiln dried cedar, and open from the top down, which is ideal for cleaning and monitoring. That coupled with their reasonable price point of $45 and $55, respectively, is why they are our favorite boxes!






How do Birds Survive Storms, the Arrival of the Hummingbirds!

How Do Our Backyard Birds Survive Storms?

To begin this week’s blog, we hope that everybody stayed safe and dry during this past week’s severe weather! Fortunately, we all faired well with no worse than a wet basement amongst the Wood Thrush Shop team, and we hope the same is true for you. (Minus of course the wet basement!) While having my sleep interrupted for several hours during the ceaseless wailing of the tornado siren at the end of my street, I had plenty of time to wonder, what do our backyard birds do during severe weather?

Many birds are cavity nesting species, and these will naturally gravitate towards nooks and crannies, as well as disused woodpecker nests and the cavities we provide in the form of nesting boxes. Carolina Wrens, Tufted Titmice, Carolina Chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatch, Eastern Bluebird, and our different woodpecker species will all take advantage of cavities for shelter during bad weather. I have even seen Carolina Wrens pop into our Roosting Pockets ahead of a spring storm.

Tufted Titmouse in Nesting Box

Photo Credit: Eli Haislip

What do the species of birds that do not nest in cavities do? Species such as Northern Cardinals, American Robins, Blue Jays, and others will seek cover wherever they can find it, such as in bushes and shrubs, and on tree limbs. Fortunately for them, they have a several adaptations that make it easier for them to not get blown away, even in high winds. They will often roost on a thicker branch on the opposite side of the trunk from the wind, providing them with added protection. Also, their feet naturally grip tightly when they are relaxed; this coupled with their sharp claws mean that they can sleep tight without the worry of being blown away! Sheltering in a bush during a severe storm may not sound pleasant for us, but keep in mind, birds are wild animals. They neither expect, nor need, comfort in situations like this. All they require is to survive!

Blue Jay

Photo Credit: Eli Haislip

The Hummingbirds are Back!

In other news, the hummingbirds are here again at last! April 3rd, John had his first hummingbird of the season visit his feeder at his home in Pegram. Since then, reports have begun to trickle in from customers of their first of season Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. If you live closer to the shop, while writing this I had a customer call in to report a hummingbird at her feeder on Chickering Lane. As we mentioned last week, if you would like to put a feeder out, we recommend managing your expectations. While yes, they are here, they will not be showing a lot of interest at the feeders at this point. Just put out one feeder, and only put a little nectar in it! Want to make your own nectar? It’s super simple! Fully dissolve one part sugar into four parts water (easier if boiled, but not necessary) and you’re good to go. Top tip! Store your homemade nectar in a water bottle in the refrigerator and it will keep longer that way.

Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Photo Credit: Eli Haislip





Wood Thrush Notes: Questions Answered: Hummingbirds, Grosbeaks, and Updates!

With spring officially here, and a flurry of pleasant days both behind and ahead of us in the forecast, the yearly spring-time questions have gone from a trickle to a daily deluge. Today, we are going to answer some of these questions, and also give you some fun updates from the store!

When are the hummingbirds arriving?

The first and most frequently asked question is by far “When are the hummingbirds getting here?” This is an easy question to answer. Each year, almost like clock-work, hummingbirds will begin to be seen by folks in our area within a few days either side of the first of April. However, just because you are out in your yard picking up sticks after our ceaseless wind and you hear that unmistakable buzzing of your first hummer of the season, don’t go hustling to get all your feeders filled and put out just yet! While yes, hummingbirds begin to be seen around the first of April, they did not fly thousands of miles for sugar water. They are here to breed and raise young. Also, early in the season, it’s entirely possible that that first hummingbird you encountered is going to continue north, maybe even as far as southern Canada!

Where are my grosbeaks?

For those of you who do want to put out a feeder, we recommend only presenting one.  There simply is not enough activity this early in the season to warrant putting out and filling multiple feeders; most of the nectar will go to waste. Remember, for those of you making your nectar at home (our recommended method) the correct ratio is four parts water to one part sugar. This most closely simulates the nectar found in flowers. Do NOT try to make it extra sweet for them, and please, again for emphasis, please, only use plain white table sugar. Never, under any circumstances, should you use brown sugar, raw sugar, or honey. We will cover all this and more soon when we have a hummingbird dedicated post!

Another common question we get during these early warm days is “When do the grosbeaks get here?” The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is a long distance migrant that will winter in Central and northern South America before passing through Tennessee anywhere between mid-April and mid-May on the way to their northern breeding grounds. Fortunately, they are easy birds to attract and can become an almost common sight at our seed feeders during this time. Sunflower seed in and out of the shell, safflower, and our Woodland Blend are all popular with these seed-eaters! While the males are unmistakable with their striking black and white bodies and red throats, females can cause some confusion. If you see something that looks like an oversized House Finch, chances are that you have a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak!

Store Updates!

To round things out, we’d like to share a few updates about the store. We have expanded our fountain offerings, and now have 8 different fountains in stock ranging from small table top models, a waterfall, and a 4+ foot tall cast stone pedestal model! For those of you who enjoy house plants, or rooting plants, we now have some offerings for you! We now have Couronne’s full line of rooting vases, so now you can grow your plants in a much more visually appealing way than putting them in a disused cup or bowl. Last, but not least, we are excited to share that our door mats are finally back in stock and we are well supplied with all your spring and summer favorites! We’ve made new changes as well, including new displays and fresh paint, so if you haven’t stopped by in the last few months, there is no time like the present. We hope to see you soon, and happy spring!

Bird Bio: The Carolina Chickadee

Bird Bio: Carolina Chickadee

One of the most common visitors to our backyard bird feeders is the Carolina Chickadee. These small, cute birds can often be overlooked, (at least until they build a nest in a bluebird box, but we’ll touch on that point later) but we can assure you that there is a lot more going on with these birds than meets the eye… Quite literally!

An Inquisitive Carolina Chickadee in the Fall

Photo Credit: Eli Haislip

Let me elaborate on my last point there. We are all likely familiar with the chickadee, and their seemingly simple black, grey, and white color. However, while reading through our copy of Sibley’s What It’s Like To Be A Bird, I learned an interesting fact. Did you know that research suggests that the chickadee, at least to the eyes of other chickadees, is likely a vibrant bird with clear differences between male and female? That is because unlike us, many birds including the chickadee are able to see ultraviolet light, opening them up to see an entire range of colors beyond purple.

While the sight of a chickadee picking out just the right sunflower seed or out of the shell peanut from your feeder is common, don’t take this to mean that they rely on you and your bird feeder for their survival, even in the dead of winter! To the contrary, over half the diet of the chickadee consists of insect prey, even in the cold winters of the northern parts of their range. Chickadees are also prolific seed cachers, being able to store up to 1,000 seeds per day! According to Sibley, the hippocampus, or the part of the brain responsible for spatial memory (recalling events or where you leave things; my missing key for instance) is larger in chickadees that live in northern areas with colder winters, where food storage is more important. The hippocampus actually begins to expand in the fall to accommodate the many new seed storage locations the bird must remember, and then shrinks again in the spring.

Chickadees often are one of the first birds that we hear reports of nesting activity in the spring. In fact, you could have a fully built chickadee nest and not even realize it, as they are very elusive about their comings and goings and if you blink, you’ll likely miss it. Being cavity nesters, chickadees will use abandoned woodpecker nests, nesting boxes, or other natural cavities for nesting. Nests are constructed from moss, with an inner cup filled with soft fur or plant material. Unlike the Eastern Bluebird, chickadees will only raise one brood of 3 to 10 white with reddish brown blotted eggs. Incubation lasts 12-15 days, with the nestling phase lasting an additional 16-19 days.

While we are on the subject of chickadees nesting, every year we will get customers becoming upset because a chickadee has built a nest in their bluebird box. This is normal, and it is completely fine! We assure you, the tiny chickadee did not bully the larger, more territorial bluebird out of its home. On the day of writing this, we watched our back alley bluebirds aggressively defend their box from a Chickadee, as well as a Titmouse and several House Sparrows. Never, under any circumstance, should you remove or destroy a chickadee’s nest in hopes of attracting bluebirds. If the bluebird wants the box, it will take it over. Also, as we mentioned, chickadees only nest once, early in spring, whereas bluebirds will nest up to three times throughout the spring and summer. Let the chickadees nest, and enjoy the learning process that comes with observing a new species nest! There is still plenty of time ahead for watching bluebirds.

During the winter months, chickadees will begin to band together, forming small flocks. There is a hierarchy in these flocks, with the dominant chickadees staying in the same territory to breed in the spring. Oftentimes, other birds such as Tufted Titmice, Ruby and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Red and White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, and Brown Creepers will join in these flocks in search of food and protection from predators. Remember, for birds, there is safety in numbers!

Carolina Chickadee in the Snow

Photo Credit: Eli Haislip














Wood Thrush Notes: Bluebirds Part Two: How to Feed Bluebirds

Feeding Bluebirds

In addition to the numerous nesting bluebird related questions we receive this time of year, another frequent question is how best to feed them?

Male Bluebird Feeding on Mealworms on Our Delivery Dock

Photo Credit: Eli Haislip

Many of you may have noticed bluebirds visiting your feeding stations, especially in the late winter. While in the past this was rare, it has now become commonplace. During cold weather, when there is a lack of insect activity, bluebirds may be drawn to out-of-the shell seeds, such as sunflowers or peanuts, as well as suet. While this may continue into the spring, expect this to begin to taper off, with it becoming almost non-existent by summer. Fear not, though, as there are still ways to continue feeding bluebirds!

The best way to feed bluebirds during warm weather is with live mealworms. These are actually not worms at all, but rather the larval stage of the darkling beetle. We carry these year round, and sell them by weight. Large, or roughly 1000 worms, (if you’re wondering, yes, one slow fall afternoon John actually took the time to count out mealworms) is $15, medium, or 500 worms, is $11, and small, or 250 worms, is $7. Note: If you purchase live mealworms, they MUST be kept in the refrigerator, where they will then enter a dormant state and keep upwards of a month. NEVER put them in the freezer, as this temperature will kill them.

Folks also ask us which is better: Live, or dried mealworms? During the colder months, bluebirds will consume dried mealworms, but when temperatures are warmer and insects become prevalent, live always wins! It would be like trying to entice someone to your table by offering fresh, homemade cinnamon rolls, vs hard-tack. Like us, bluebirds prefer fresh over dried.

Odd baked goods analogies aside, how do you present mealworms? Do I need to buy a special feeder? The answer to this is that it can be as simple, or elaborate, as you would like. For instance, here at the shop, our concrete loading dock is our bluebird feeder. Fortunately for those of you that don’t happen to have a loading dock in your backyard, we have a variety of different options ranging in price from as little as $15 to as much as $85.

To maximize success when feeding bluebirds, there are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost, don’t just put a lot of worms out and hope for the best. Because most other birds eat insects, this is a great recipe to attract every other bird to your mealworms, including larger species such as mockingbirds and robins that can, and will out-compete your bluebirds. For this reason, we always tell people to put out a small amount of worms, and to do so only when the bluebirds are present to take advantage of the offering. If the bluebirds do not notice the worms and fly away, bring the worms in and try again when the bluebirds are in a position to see the worms. While this method does require a little more patience, it will work out much better in the long term. Over time, the bluebirds will often come to associate you with food!

Below is a video we took on our delivery dock of our bluebirds, feeding on live mealworms! Enjoy!