Bird News Blog
Today through Saturday, November 23rd, our Popclox Bird Clocks will be $15 off! These fun clocks are made in Massachusetts and make excellent gifts. They even have swinging pendulums, great for entertaining cats and children alike! We are well stocked with both owl (available in brown and gray) and house (available in gray, red, and green) designs and either one would make the perfect addition to the living room, home office, kids room, or even nursery!
Price before sale: $55
Sale price: $40
Brisk Feeder Activity Continues
Many more of you have noticed and commented on the very busy feeding activity this week. At my feeders, Goldfinch numbers have steadily increased from a few to enough to warrant presenting another finch feeder. If you haven’t had success in a while attracting Goldfinches with Nyjer seed, we would suggest trying the Fine Sunflower Chips or the Finch Blend. Both have out performed Nyjer the past few years. I am thoroughly convinced Goldfinches prefer sunflower seed. Remember, Goldfinches lose their bright yellow plumage this time of year. They are definitely around and may actually be more plentiful in winter as northern birds eventually settle in to this area for the winter.
To celebrate the increase in Goldfinch activity, today through Friday the 22nd save 10% on 20 lbs. and 10 lbs Finch Blend and 20 lbs. and 8 lbs. Fine Sunflower Chips
Bird Bio: Red-headed Woodpecker
Of all the woodpeckers that visit our feeders, this is perhaps the least common. Even the Pileated woodpecker seems to appear at feeders more. The Red-headed definitely relates to habitat that is a little different than the others, which is to say more open habitat relative to wooded areas with pine and cedar trees mixed with hardwood.
At the start of the breeding season, Red-headed Woodpeckers will move out of the forest interior and begin frequenting forest edges and areas of disturbed habitat. They will have up to two broods with a clutch size ranging from 2-10 eggs. Unfortunately, like the Red-bellied Woodpecker, they are prone to being out competed for their nest sites by the invasive European Starling.
Unfortunately, these striking members of the woodpecker family became scarce during the latter half of the twentieth century, with a population decline estimated at 54%. However, as we touched on recently, Red-headed Woodpeckers have been sited in numbers at locations where they would not have been previously expected such as the Natchez Trace Parkway and Radnor Lake. Montgomery Bell State Park, Bowie Nature Park in Fairview, TN and the campgrounds of Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area have all been hotspots where one can typically see these gorgeous woodpeckers in numbers.
As we progress into late fall and begin to see rainy days with greater frequency, feeders can quickly become funky. Fortunately, we have what you need to get your feeder good and clean again!
What we most commonly recommend for deep cleaning feeders is Dawn and warm soapy water. As long as you rinse everything well, it is completely safe for the birds and very effective at breaking through the grime. Our favorite tool for cleaning feeders is the Songbird Essentials Best Long Brush. Measuring in at 24 inches in length, this brush is the perfect tool for almost all tube feeders that we have in stock. Its flexible but strong nylon bristles are enough to tackle most any mess, especially with the aid of a little soap and hot water.
$12
Songbird Essentials Best Long Brush
If you don’t need a brush quite that large, we also have the Songbird Essentials Best Hummer Brush in stock. Don’t let the name fool you though; this 8.5 inch brush is great for a wide variety of applications from bird feeders to bird baths.
$11
Songbird Essentials Best Hummer Brush
Once you’ve got your feeder looking clean again, it’s important to make sure it is thoroughly dry throughout before you put seed into it. Putting seed into a wet feeder can lead to the potential for mold, and then you will be right back where you started. While repetition is great for learning to take apart and put feeders back together quickly, we can agree that there are more fun ways to spend your afternoon, so that is why it is important to make sure all parts are good and dry before getting your feeder reassembled and full of seed.
A final note… If you are struggling with getting your feeder put back together, or, have the dreaded left over pieces, we are more than happy to help walk you through the reassembly of your feeder. For you Squirrel Buster owners out there, Brome Bird Care (the company that makes Squirrel Buster) has a series of videos on Youtube detailing how to disassemble and reassemble your feeder.
Erva Twist-On Pole Arms
As we progress through fall and activity at feeders continues to increase, you may find yourself in the position of wanting to break that old feeder out of storage, or maybe even buy something new, although you don’t want to invest in a new pole just for one feeder. Fortunately, we have a cost effective solution already in stock! Enter the twist on pole arms from Erva. These simple and effective additions to your bird feeding station come in five sizes, with the largest being able to hold up to 10 pounds and accommodate weight activated squirrel proof feeders, such as a Squirrel Buster. Regardless of your type of pole, be it shepherds hook, square pole with removable top, or modular one inch pole system, we have a twist on arm that will work for you! Prices range from $8 to $19.
Bird Bio: Brown Creeper
Have you ever heard of a bird called the Brown Creeper? If not, one could easily be forgiven if you have never seen (or heard of) these tiny, unassuming songbirds, but you are missing out on a fascinating bird! One of our favorite winter residents, these miniscule members of the Treecreeper family (the only member of this family found in North America) usually begin to be spotted in the area in September or October and hang around until spring migration. In size, they are slightly smaller than a White-breasted Nuthatch, but larger than a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Their streaked brown upper coloration provides excellent camouflage against both natural predators and backyard birders alike. Look for these birds spiraling their way up along the trunks of mature trees. An interesting characteristic of the Brown Creepers is that they will never climb down a tree, the way a nuthatch will. Rather, they will fly down, often back to the base of the tree to begin their upward spiral in search of food again. According the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, during the course of the day the Creeper will burn 4-10 calories. This means that by consuming one spider, these efficient birds will gain enough food energy for a vertical climb of 200 feet.
Brown Creeper
Bluebirds Flocking Together
It is that time of year again! With breeding season long gone, Eastern Bluebirds become far more tolerant of each other and can be observed flocking together throughout the winter months. We have already received several reports of this behavior from customers, as well as in our own yards. It is not uncommon to see groups of three or more together at birdbaths on frosty mornings during the late fall and winter months. This week by one of my boxes, I observed three males sitting on the limbs of a nearby bush together. This is another reason we often tell folks that it is never truly too soon to put up a bluebird box!
In addition, we are still observing at our homes and hearing reports from customers of bluebirds exploring bluebird boxes. In cold winter weather, small flocks of bluebirds will pack into houses together, using their body heat to keep each other alive on frigid nights.
Bluebirds Investigating a Nest Box
An abundance of Cedar Waxwings
This morning getting into my car, I heard the unmistakable high pitched whistle that signals the presence of Cedar Waxwings. A cursory glance around the trees soon revealed their location: A large hackberry. Any tree or bush that produces berries is a great place to look. Privet, Hackberry, and Honeysuckle are all excellent places to spot waxwings throughout the fall and winter months. Once you learn to identify their call, you will likely be surprised at just how common these beautiful birds are.
MatMates Sale and the Arrival of Mr. Bird Seed Houses
For those of you who may not have been aware, to celebrate the restocking of our seasonal MatMates, all floor mats will be 20% off through Saturday, November 9th! These aren’t the only products that we are excited to have back in stock though, as this week our decorative seed bird houses finally arrived!
Despite October traditionally being the slowest month of the year at bird feeders, there’s been a surprising amount of activity in the backyard and at feeders! Here are a few notes and observations from our week.
Abundance of Red-headed Woodpeckers:
We have now received several reports from both customers and local birding circles of an abundance of Red-headed Woodpeckers (not to be confused with Red-bellied wood peckers) this year, and in places where sightings were previously uncommon. Radnor Lake, for example, has become a hotspot of activity for them with 15 Red-headed Woodpeckers being sited and reported on TN-Bird.
Birds Caching Seed
Much of the activity at my feeders is birds making frequent repeated trips. They aren’t eating that much or that quickly, but taking seed and peanuts for the purpose of caching, or storing for the winter months ahead. This has been one of the busiest Octobers for caching I’ve ever seen. Chickadees, Tufted titmice, and Nuthatches have been known to store hundreds, maybe even thousands, of seeds behind bark or in small crevices and cavities of trees, and remember the locations. I recently found a stash of shelled peanuts on the framework of my garden shed door. I paid attention to a Tufted titmouse that flew in that direction and sure enough watched it deposit the peanut and come back to the feeder. So, is this extra storing going on because birds are sensing a “tough” winter coming, or is it because the very dry summer we had stifled seed production and they are aware of the lack of food that will be available?
Winter Plumage Goldfinch:
After nearly a month without any Goldfinch’s at my feeders a few appeared wearing their winter plumage. Goldfinches, of course, lose their bright yellow breeding plumage and become quite drab in appearance. Goldfinches are here year-round but move away from birdfeeders for a while in the fall as they gravitate to the natural food sources in field and meadow. We often see more Goldfinches in winter because birds that spent the summer north of us will move here for the milder climate. Usually by mid-March we will see Goldfinches begin to show signs of more yellow again. Give your finch feeder a tune-up and make sure recent rain hasn’t ruined the seed.
Winter/Nonbreeding Plumage American Goldfinch
Bluebirds Eating Suet:
In addition to numerous reports of bluebirds exploring nest boxes, we have begun to experience another fall/winter bluebird phenomenon: Bluebirds eating suet. It seems more of us see Bluebirds eating suet with every year that passes. It used to be a rarity but has become quite common. We typically expect to see this later in winter when natural food supplies, like berries, are running low and it is still too cold for insect activity. Suet is such a great offering because it tends to appeal to many birds considered the traditionally non-seed eating species, like Bluebirds, Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglet, and Orange-crowned and Pine warbler to name a few. Two of us here at TWTS have had Western Tanagers visit our suet feeders during winter months.
Log Suet Feeder
Do you want to feed suet, but don’t like the look of traditional suet cages? We’ve got you covered! I recently dug my old Log Jammer feeders out of storage and have begun using them to great effect, drawing Chickadees, Titmice, Nuthatch, Downey Woodpeckers, and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. Some of our customers have made their own log suet feeders by drilling holes in a section of branch that has fallen and inserting a screw-eye for a hanger. It’s simple and very effective.
