How to Avoid a Broken Birdbath or Fountain; Other Fall Happenings

An Increase in Activity

Tufted Titmouse

Photo by Eli Haislip

Since last week’s cold snap and snow flurries, reports have finally begun to trickle in from customers of increased activity at their bird feeders!

For those of you who have thought things seem slow at your feeders, you’re not alone. We always expect a significant slowdown at feeders during September, October, and the first half of November. Don’t worry, it’s nothing you’ve done wrong! With the breeding season long concluded, birds are no longer having to care (and eat!) for as many as six young at a time; now they only have themselves to provide for. Take this, and couple it with the fact that this time of year, everything in the wild that will produce food is doing just that. Seeds, berries, acorns and nuts can all be found in abundance. As if this wasn’t enough food for your average songbird, the warm afternoons mean that insects can still be readily found. All these factors combined mean that fall is a slow time of year for bird feeding.

So, how much longer will this continue? Generally, when we see temperatures begin to drop in November marks the end of the slow season. Begin to look for increased activity on these frosty mornings of late. Once we get into consistently cooler temperatures in the latter half of the month, expect to see a noticeable increase in activity at your feeding station.

We are also beginning to receive reports of our winter residents turning up in the parks and backyards of the midstate. Just this week, I have begun seeing Dark-eyed Juncos and White-throated Sparrows with regularity.

Attention ALL Birdbath and Fountain Users!

We would like to give all of you a reminder that with the freezing temperatures of late fall and winter, if you are not using a birdbath de-icer, your birdbath or fountain is at risk of cracking. Yes, even a fountain with its running water is not immune to freezing and cracking when the temperatures drop below freezing. It is also worth mentioning that the same applies to glass rain gauges; be sure to empty out those tubes before they can freeze and break! If you have a de-icer, now is the time to get it out and put it into use. For those of you who don’t already have one, a bird bath de-icer is a metal ring, with or without a thermostat, that when plugged into an electrical outlet and submerged in your bird bath or fountain will keep the water from freezing allowing you to provide water year round.

We currently have three models in stock. Two models, the Songbird Essential’s Multi-Use De-Icer and the Farm Innovators Model C-50 feature thermostats and are essentially the same products, with the only difference being the Songbird Essential’s model having a 5.5 cord while the Farm Innovators model only sporting a footlong cord. Both of these also come with a 3 year warranty. These models retail for $75 and $70, respectively. If you don’t want to spend that much, we also have the Farm Innovators Model B-9. This is the most budget friendly de-icer, retailing at only $35. However, the trade off is there is no thermostat (so it is always on when it’s plugged in) and it only has a one year warranty. Still though, it is effective and ideal for birdbaths that are more shallow.

What are My Bluebirds Doing?

If you have noticed your bluebirds perching on your nesting box, and maybe even going in and out, you’re not alone! We encounter this phenomenon each year around this time with Eastern Bluebirds investigating nesting boxes. Don’t worry, they know better than to try and begin nesting this late in the season. Most likely, they are scouting potential nest sites for next spring in addition to shelter locations for the coming cold nights of winter.

Eastern Bluebirds Investigating a Nesting Box in Fall

Photo by Eli Haislip

This is why whenever people ask us when they should put up a bluebird box, we usually tell them “yesterday.” The sooner you put a box up, the sooner the birds will find it and know it is there for future use.

In addition to this, birds will also utilize nest boxes during the winter to get out of the elements on cold nights. Multiple bluebirds will all pile into a box and use their combined body heat to survive the coldest nights of the year. Other cavity nesting birds will also utilize boxes on cold nights, such as Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Carolina Wrens, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Downy Woodpeckers. Despite the breeding season being long since concluded, it is never really too early to put up a box!







Bird Feeder Cameras On Sale

You’ve been asking us about them for most of the decade, and after careful research, we’ve listened. We are now finally able to carry a bird feeder with a camera in it!

The Beakview Bird Feeder Camera retails at $205 and for this, you get the bird feeder itself which is constructed of a durable plastic material (we tested the impact durability using our foreheads when we had it set up on our loading dock; we can assure you they hold up well) that will hold 1.8 pounds of birdseed.

Beakview Bird Feeder Camera

Also included is of course the camera. We have all been quite impressed with the image and video quality. The simple, wide-angle 2.0 megapixel camera might not sound impressive, but it is more than adequate to get you a crisp, detailed look at the bird while it feeds. The camera also has night vision, so if you have any nighttime visitors such as raccoons or the less common flying squirrel, you will get a good look at them. Video is recorded in full color and high definition and is smooth without noticeable lagging or buffering. In case you are wondering, the camera is waterproof so it will be just fine staying out in the rain. As for the battery, Beakview claims that it will last “30-90 days depending on activity,” although with the number of House Finches I had constantly triggering the camera, I was getting more like ten days to two weeks in between charges. Still, not too bad!

We’ve carried these feeders now for a few months, and I have been testing mine off and on during that stretch with no real issues to report. Once I learned how to disable notifications in the app, I found having the whole package to be enjoyable. I’ve even seen a few oddities that I would have missed while being away at work, such as an unusual looking White-breasted Nuthatch. These cameras also offer a subscription based AI powered identification software, but I would not recommend paying for that as there is no real point. In this area, you are going to be getting the same species of birds to your feeder for the majority of the year, and since you now have high definition video of the bird up close, a field guide should be more than enough to figure out what you’re looking at. I should mention that this software is NOT required to use the feeder or its camera.

Tufted Titmouse

Enough clarity for feather detail, even with only 2 megapixels!

So, who is this a gift for? Younger birders who are old enough to have a smartphone would likely enjoy the close up look at their favorite feeder birds. These would also make a great gift for somebody who likes watching their feeder, but perhaps work keeps them away from the windows for long periods. These cameras are also easy enough to use that all three of us were able to figure them out, which means anybody can use them! That being said, if you have any questions about using the app, or setting up the bird feeder itself, we are here to help and will do our best to walk you through it!

This week, Beakview Bird Feeder Cameras will be on sale for $20 Off MSRP

















What's Up with My Feeders?

While things have been slow overall at my feeder of late, I have had plenty of visits from one bird in particular… A White-breasted Nuthatch! What if I told you that despite being one of my most active visitors, the bird isn’t actually eating the seeds? If you’re wondering what’s going on, or perhaps you’ve experienced something similar, the bird is neither crazy, nor is it wasteful… It’s actually a fairly common phenomenon this time of year known as caching!

White-breasted Nuthatch

Put simply, caching seeds is a way for birds to store seeds during times of plenty (right now, when there is abundance of food available in the wild) 

Through my binoculars, I was able to observe that the Nuthatch was wedging a safflower seed into the nooks and crannies of the bark of a large maple outside my window. Just while I was watching the bird made more than ten trips back and forth from the tree to the feeder. Nuthatches aren’t the only backyard birds that will store seeds for later. Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatch, and certain woodpeckers all will engage in seed caching. For more information, I’ll link to a good article on Cornell’s All About Birds page here.

Have your feeders seemed slower than normal to you? We assure you, everything is just fine. Each year, we experience this typically from September through the first part of November, or at least until when it starts to get cold out. The reason? This time of year is a time of plenty for birds. Every wild plant that produces seeds, nuts, berries, or fruits is doing just that. In addition, the warm days and mild nights mean that there are still numerous insects available for birds to prey on. (As evidenced by me still having to use our Murphy’s Naturals Mosquito Repellent Insect Sticks when I eat outside in mid October.) Put simply, the birds don’t need feeders right now. In addition to the reasons I just listed, remember that with the breeding season concluded, they aren’t having to feed young anymore. That means that not only is there an abundance of food in the wild, but also they only have themselves to take care of. In other words, it’s a pretty good time to be a bird!

A Swamp Sparrow Eating Grass Seeds in Winter

Eli Haislip

Once we get into colder weather, when insects become more scarce, expect to see a sharp uptick in feeder activity. Nothing brings birds back to our feeders quite like a cold, frosty morning! In the meantime, now is the perfect time to take your feeders down and give them a good cleaning. In our experience, dawn and good hot soapy water with a thorough rinse works well. Just make sure the parts of the feeder are well dried before you put seed back in to keep it from getting funky.



Big Savings on Binoculars, BirdCast, Spotting Fall Warblers

Did you know that this Saturday, October 11th, is World Fall Migration Day? This day celebrates migratory bird species in the Americas and is a great excuse to grab your binoculars, enjoy the beautiful weather, and do some birding!

Tennessee Warbler

Photo by Eli Haislip

To celebrate here at the shop, this week we will be running a special on ALL binoculars! We are always preaching the value of owning a good pair of binoculars and of TAKING THEM WITH YOU. This week, Saturday the 11th through Friday the 17th, we are doing our part to make that easier for you by putting all models on sale from $20 all the way up to $50 off!

ALL Nikon Monarch M7: $50 OFF

ALL Nikon Monarch M5: $30 OFF

All Other Binoculars: $20 OFF

We are an authorized Nikon dealer, and we have binoculars that will work for any budget. Are you looking for a first pair of binoculars for the aspiring young bird watcher? Nikon Trailblazers, Travelites, and Prostaff 3S are all great options.

Maybe you already have a pair of binoculars, but you want another pair to keep in your car or by the window. In that case, the Prostaff 7S might be the perfect choice. Available in full size (10x42, 8x42) or compact, (10x30, 8x30) these binoculars perfectly bridge the gap between our entry level binoculars and our top end Monarchs.

There is still time left to take advantage of Fall Migration birdwatching, so if you have been putting off getting your binoculars waiting for a sale, now is the time!

Speaking of Fall Migration, have you ever heard of BirdCast? This incredible tool uses weather radar to track migratory birds while they fly overhead in the night skies of autumn. Last night, (the night of October the 9th, 2025 if you are reading this later) an estimated 824,300 birds migrated across Davidson County. The peak “traffic” was at 7:50 PM, when an estimated 144,300 birds flew over at an average speed of 21 mph and at an altitude of 1,700 feet. So far since August, BirdCast has tracked over 80,000,000 birds that have crossed over this region. Let that sink in for a minute! I will link to BirdCast here so you can check it out for yourself

While soaking up some of the warm sun of an early October afternoon last weekend, I was treated to the treat and challenge of a small, mixed flock of fall warblers! Off the bat, one did not require my trusty field guide for identification. A Black-and-White Warbler! Also in the same tree were a couple Tennessee Warblers, as well as a female/immature Bay-breasted Warbler. None of them were cooperative for photos, so I linked to their respective pages on All About Birds for photos, calls/songs, and more information.





Seed and Feed Sale; Unexpected Feeder Visitors, Hummingbird Activity Continues

Seed Sale

Feeder activity may be slow at the moment, but we are not far from the birds “eating [you] out of house and home” again! In the meantime, as Fall Migration progresses, there are some interesting birds to keep a watchful eye out for. That’s why this beginning Saturday, September 27th through next Friday, October 3rd, all seed and feed will be on sale 10% off! However, there is a catch… You must mention our blog in order to receive the discount!

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks

Fall Migration can bring a bit of fun and excitement to an otherwise slow time in the bird feeding world. For example, the other day while looking out the window, I was excited to see a Northern Parula flitting from branch to branch gleaning small insects along the way. While these birds are unlikely to be seen on your feeders, we know of another neotropical migrant that is possible to attract to your seed… The Rose-breasted Grosbeak! While these birds are much more common visitors to our feeders during the Spring Migration, they also pass back through in the fall and are known to visit feeders when they do. These photos were taken on September 25th of 2024, so it is possible to see them on your feeders during the next week or so. Grosbeaks are not picky when they do come to bird feeders and can easily be attracted with black-oil sunflower, safflower, or different blends such as our Woodland and Premium Blend.

Hummingbirds Still Passing Through

Let’s not forget that Ruby-throated hummingbirds are still passing through as well! It is still possible to see hummingbirds into mid and even late October, so be sure to keep a feeder clean and fresh nectar out! Nectar should be changed at least every 2-3 days this time of year and we encourage everyone to make your own. It's quick, easy, and cost effective. Simply fully dissolve 1 part plain white table sugar into 4 parts of water, and you’ve successfully made your own nectar! In addition, we have plenty of hummingbird feeders still in stock, as well as specially made hummingbird feeder brushes to make cleaning a snap!

It is also worth mentioning that keeping up a hummingbird feeder will not keep the birds from migrating. Their instinct to migrate is far too strong to let a little sugar water hold them back. They will go when they are ready. By all means, keep a feeder up as long as you’d like as long as you keep it clean and the nectar fresh. Who knows, there’s always a chance of attracting a western species!