“When people call me squirrely,” said John L. Koprowski, a squirrel expert and professor of wildlife conservation and management at the University of Arizona, “I am flattered by the term.”

The Eastern gray tree squirrel, or Sciurus carolinensis, is a spectacularly successful species, according to Natalie Angier.  She goes on to describe the amazing abilities of gray squirrels, quoting several experts about why these squirrels have flourished in our modern world.

Read about these fascinating backyard acrobatic geniuses by clicking on this link:  Nut? What Nut? The Squirrel Outwits to Survive by Natalie Angier. 

http://audubonportland.org/news/gulf

Deadline for Entries: June 15, 2010

Prizes:
The top two finishers in each category will receive a prize:
•First Prize: Wingscapes Bird Cam and 128MB memory card valued at $159.95.  This weather proof digital camera is motion-activated to capture all the bird and wildlife activity in your garden. See details of the camera at http://www.wingscapes.com
•Second Prize: A $50 gift card to Backyard Bird Shop. Good at any of our 7 locations, and it never expires.

Submission Requirements & Instructions:
•Photos submitted must be entered into one of five categories:
•Suet Feeder- Show us your favorite suet feeder and the birds who frequent it. Do you get flocks of cute Bushtits, flashy Northern Flickers, or maybe you get Pileated Woodpeckers?
•Seed Feeder- Do you offer sunflower seed for your feathered friends? Or maybe Nyjer? Show us your favorite photos of birds at your seed feeder.
•Birdbath-Water attracts an amazing amount of birds to the garden. Who frequents your birdbath? Show us your photos of birds at your birdbath.
•Squirrel-Do you enjoy your bushy-tailed yard visitors too? Submit your photos of their squirrelly antics at a squirrel feeder.
•Kids-For youngsters up to 16 years of age. Show us what you are enjoying in your backyard. Can feature any feeder or bath that brings you closer to nature.
•Photos must have been taken in a Portland/Vancouver metro area backyard or home garden.
•A photographer may submit up to two digital images in each category.
•Photographs will be accepted only from the original photographer who must be the sole author and the owner of the copyright for photos submitted.
•All submissions can be mailed to: photocontest@backyardbirdshop.com or dropped off at any store location. Photos that are dropped at a store must be in an envelope clearly marked “photo contest.”
•All submissions must include full name, name as you’d like it to appear publicly, address, e-mail, and telephone number, and category you are entering. We always love to hear the story behind the photo too!
•All submissions must be received by June 15, 2010.

Submission File Specifications:
• Limited image modifications are allowed: Watermarks, Signatures, or Copyright Notices must be removed prior to submission.
•Elements or objects not in original scene should not be added.
•If submission requirements are not followed, the application and images may not be judged.

Contest Rules:
•Photographers who receive more than 50% of their income from photo sales are considered professionals and are not eligible.
•Open only to legal residents of Oregon and Washington.

Judging:
•Please allow 7-10 days after submission for photos to appear on our website photo stream.
•Three local photographers who work with the Backyard Bird Shop, Steve Berliner, Rick Brumble, and Richard Dupraw, will judge the photos based on 25% creativity, 25% composition, 25% photography skill, and 25% features a Backyard Bird Shop product.
•Winners will be notified by July 15, 2010 by telephone and arrangements for prize pick up made at that time.

Terms and Conditions on Use of Images:
•Photographers retain ownership of all copyrights. However, by submitting an image for entry in this contest, you automatically give Backyard Bird Shop a non-exclusive, non-transferable, irrevocable license without charge to reproduce and display the image in any electronic, optical, physical, or other medium; to modify its size and resolution; and to use your name as the photographer, without notification or compensation.
•Any one photographer may have only one winning entry.  All winning entries will be announced on our website, http://www.backyardbirdshop.com and in our next newsletter. All photos will be available for viewing through our photo link on our website.

If the following does not inspire you to go outside and fill your seed, suet and nectar feeders . . . . what could?!  This good news is more fuel for the “cause” of habitat restoration; one backyard at a time!

From ScienceDaily on May 18, 2010:  “The good news is that the birds in our study seemed to be finding enough food in even the smaller urban habitats to refuel and continue their journey,” said Stephen Matthews, co-author of the study and a post-doctoral researcher in the School of Environment and Natural Resources at Ohio State University.”

Read the entire article by clicking this link:  ScienceDaily May 18, 2010

These gregarious birds spend most of the year in busy flocks of up to 50 birds, staying year-round across much of the western U.S.  As their name implies, Bushtits frequent bushy areas in mixed woods, parks and backyards.  They come to suet feeders year-round, and may build their elaborate, gourd-shaped, sack-like nests nearby. 

by Molly Evans

I’m a lazy gardener.  I don’t really want to sweep up seed shells from underneath our black oil sunflower seed feeders.  But that seed is by far the most popular that we offer, so for years I regularly swept a good many hulls left behind by our backyard diners.

That was then.  Now I fill some of my feeders with Sunflower Chips, sunflower seeds without the hull.  There is less mess to sweep from underneath those feeders, and sunflower chips attract a wide variety of seed-eating birds!  Hulled sunflower chips are very nutritious, and their high oil content equates to a high energy boost for our bird feeder regulars.  I fill the elevated feeders located near our patio and walkway with the chips, to keep the areas looking neat and tidy. 

In a ground feeder I offer Pacific No Waste, a blend of sunflower chips (black oil sunflower pieces), hulled white proso millet peanut pick-outs and hearts, and cracked corn.  Birds that prefer to feed low to the ground, like Spotted Towhees, Dark-eyed Juncos, Varied Thrushes, sparrows and others, will find it to contain all their favorite seeds.  I recommend Pacific No Waste as a great no-shell substitute for Northwest Nature Mix, which has something for everybirdy. 

It seems to me that offering sunflower chips and Pacific No Waste is energy and cost efficient.  The hulls, which are not useful, are left behind at the seed plant instead of transported to our shops in the Portland area.  I like to think that when I buy these products, I’m paying only for bird food, not for shells that will not be eaten.

We need all the pollinators we can get! Some people are surprised to discover bees taking up residence in a birdhouse. Since many species of bumblebees are in decline, you may want to consider the presence of Orange Rumped Bumble Bees (Bombus melanopygus) a positive!  Before you decide to reclaim that house for the birds, consider these facts:

* We need all the pollinators we can get! Orange Rumped Bumble Bees, native to the Pacific Northwest, are important pollinators.  Since many species of bumblebees are in decline due to pesticides, loss of habitat, and human intervention, there is a growing interest in encouraging and preserving our native bees.

* Bumble Bees Nest Spring – Fall Each spring, queen bumblebees search for a new nest site.  Once a site is established, bumblebees visit flowers for nectar and pollen to eat, and to use to feed an initial brood of larval worker bees. In the summer the bumble bee queen produces a few generations of workers who then take over the task of collecting nectar and pollen.  The summer generations help the queen rear the final generation of the colony—queens for next spring, and males to mate with them.

* The Bees Vacate the House by Fall By late fall, the colony has died out except for a few final workers and males, and the new queens burrow into the ground to wait for the following spring.

For detailed information about Orange-rumped Bumble Bees, we like this link: 

The City of Portland encourages the installation of rain chains—less rainwater winds up in the sewer system if you disconnect your downspouts and install rain chains instead.  Rain chains can direct rainwater to the ground, or to a collection barrel so it can be used later to water your yard and plants. You may even get a credit on your water/sewer bill for converting to rain chains!  Call 503-823-5858 to verify.

Rain Chains are a decorative alternative to downspouts.  Rain chains hang from a hole in the gutter, and water playfully dances down the links to a rain barrel or other drain system.  While downspouts are rather boring in appearance, pretty rain chains can enhance the appearance of your home.  Another bonus:  they won’t clog with leaves the way gutters will in our part of the country!

Backyard Bird Shop offers a nice selection of rain chains.  We invite you to drop by one of our 7 local shops and let us show them to you, and explain how they work.

Greetings to all! It’s that time of year
When out of the woodwork die-hard birders appear

They gather and all pile into the van
To venture and see all the species they can

In rain, snow and sleet out on roads paved with gravel
These intrepid and die-hard birders do travel

We go out to find all the birds we can see
A Coot or Merganser or Northern Pygmy

It’s BIRDATHON time and you know what that means
Portland Audubon needs help fulfilling its dreams

Of helping the wildlife held in its care
There are raccoons, robins and raptors found there

They spread the word of preserving the land
But they need your help, the time is at hand

To sponsor a birder, PLEASE make a donation
The timing is right, it’s spring migration!

Ladybugs eat aphids, leafhoppers, whiteflies, spider mites, moth eggs, and even plant and pollen mildews.  Release ladybugs in your garden to help control these pests.  Backyard Bird Shop offers these beneficial insects to help you use fewer chemicals, and more natural methods, to control lawn pests.

Backyard Bird Shop carries Nematodes, and other natural pest control options, to offer responsible alternatives for lawn and garden care.  As our customers discontinue use of toxic chemicals in their yards, natural predators such as ladybugs and green lacewings make a comeback.  Butterflies, bees and birds become more plentiful.  Soon a backyard can be transformed into a natural garden.
Helping wild birds and other backyard wildlife benefits all living creatures.  In our urban area, wild bird feeding is the principal connection many people have with wildlife.  Watching birds foraging around a backyard feeder in the morning can relieve stress and can start the day on a positive note.  Bringing birds into the backyard adds a welcome flash of color, dash of motion and splash of sound to “decorate” a backyard garden!