News/Blog

Visit NPR’s Ketzel Levine’s Blog about the Nesting Hummingbirds in Her Yard

2008-03-31T03:47:00Z

Ketzel Levine’s Talking Plants blog is currently talking hummingbirds! Click here to have a look: Ketzel Levine’s Talking Plants blog.

{extended}

Window and Mirror Combat

2008-03-31T00:12:00Z

It’s 6:00 in the morning, and today is no different from other recent mornings. A male Song Sparrow has perched on our bedroom window sill and is scratching around and peering in. Loudly he sings a melodious solo, and then flies forward and thumps against the window. Then he does it again, and again, and again! Finally he flies to a high branch in our backyard, and sings another solo!

The window strikes must be harmless because he’s done it at least two weeks straight. This little guy mistakes his reflection for another male song sparrow – a competitor for the attention of a female. He’s singing to signal his territorial boundaries. He flies against our window to frighten away the “other male” he sees in the reflection. American Robins are notorious for this behavior, too. The good news is that when nesting season is over, the males seem to settle down substantially.

As for our Song Sparrow, this is his third season of being a first-class alarm clock, and a very entertaining one at that.

Our Song Sparrow’s antics are just one of many spring experiences customers like you notice and talk about in our stores. In this newsletter we’ll discuss common concerns and offer a few tips to make this spring a great one for enjoying the wildlife if your backyard.

{extended}

Don’t Save that Baby Bird Just Yet!

2008-03-30T23:22:00Z

On page 5 of Audubon Society of Portland’s April newsletter is a timely and informative article on what to do if you see a baby bird in your backyard. So many well-intentioned backyard naturalists make the mistake of “rescuing” a baby bird that is actually being cared for and protected by its parents. Once you remove a baby bird from its parents, you deprive the bird of the opportunity to learn skills it needs to survive in the wild. Please read the article, to be fully prepared for the drama that could unfold in your backyard! Click here on Audubon Society of Portland’s Newsletter page and then select April 2008 newsletter to read it.

{extended}

OPB Science Friday Segment on Wild Birds aired March 28, 2008

2008-03-29T04:48:00Z

Visit the Science Friday Archives . Click on the “Listen” button on the upper left side of the page, and listen to some experts discuss migration, Birder’s Life Lists, Sandhill Cranes and other interesting topics. It’s a little skewed toward East Coast bird happenings, but there are good tips for all people interested in backyard birding!

{extended}

Spring is Hummertime!

2008-03-28T03:14:00Z

Of the 15 species of hummingbirds in the western U.S., two are common to our area. The Rufous Hummingbird may migrate over 2,000 miles form southern Mexico to its summer home in the Pacific Northwest. The Anna’s Hummingbird ventures no farther than it has to to find food, so many are year ‘round residents.

Hummingbirds are amazing aerial acrobats, hovering, flying backward, upside down, or rocketing off with breathtaking speed – whether feeding, defending territory, or maybe just showing off!

All that fancy stuff takes energy. A hummer can consume half its weight in sugar each day, so your feeder will be a welcome supplement to the natural food supply. Backyard Bird Shop features modern, easy-to-clean, drip-free feeders like the Hummzinger line of U.S.-made feeders, ant resistant, with a continuous perch for great viewing. The Little Flyer and Nature’s Best feeders are other great choices for carefree hummingbird feeding.

Make your own nectar by dissolving ½ cup of sugar in two cups of boiling water. Cool before filling your feeder. You can keep the unused nectar in the refrigerator up to two weeks. Be sure to clean and refill feeders at least once a week to prevent harmful fermentation. The birds will find it more readily if you hang it near red, tubular flowers, like fuschia, salvia or trumpet vine.

{extended}

Connecting Families with Nature

2008-03-27T20:33:00Z

This year, mounting the bat house that I bought last year but didn’t find the perfect place to mount tops the list. After all, I’ve been assured that my backyard will be home to thousands fewer mosquitoes if I provide housing for little brown bats. Next is hanging a second hummingbird feeder. It’s only March and already the turf battles have begun. I must do what I can to keep peace and harmony in the haven.  I know that May is the perfect time to apply nematodes. The soil is damp and the temperatures not too hot for these beneficial creatures to go to work devouring the larvae of crane flies and root weevils. I won’t miss the window of opportunity this year.   Our mission at Backyard Bird Shop is to make you aware of and feed your hunger for information about the many ways to connect with nature in your backyard. Our staff, many of whom have backgrounds in biology, gardening, and teaching, take pleasure in sharing information about attracting birds and enhancing your yard for nature. We are passionate about nature in our personal lives and come to work with a desire to share our knowledge and appreciation for nature.

{extended}

Tune Up Bird Feeders for Spring

2008-03-27T00:41:00Z

Spring bird feeders and birdhouses can set the stage for quite a show, as birds engage in intriguing courtship and family-rearing behavior right outside your windows!

6 Tips for Successful Spring Feeding:

1. Offer only one type of seed per tubular feeder. Birds will drop unwanted seeds in search of a favorite. A seed-catching tray added to a tube feeder can further reduce the mess of shells or accidentally dropped seed!
2. A quality mix works well if in a platform feeder on or near the ground. Many birds regularly forage near the ground. We offer excellent mixes that will broaden the range of birds you see!
3. Black oil sunflower seed consumption will increase, millet decrease. A number of millet-loving sparrows migrate away leaving us with a large percentage of sunflower lovers like jays, chickadees, nuthatches, grosbeaks, and finches.
4. Your suet feeder with be visited by woodpeckers and bushtits, and chickadee parents who’ll feed the soft food to their always-hungry young.
5. Stock finch feeders with nyger “thistle” to enjoy beautiful American Goldfinches and arriving migratory Pine Siskins.
6. Attract summer visitors with fruit feeders offering apples, bananas, raisins or orange halves.

{extended}

Hummingbird Hospitality

2008-03-15T00:49:00Z

While the fledglings of many bird species must be coaxed or pushed from their nests for their first flights, hummingbird fledglings just do it! Anyone feeding hummers can see how a bird will lay claim to a feeder, perching nearby and flying menacingly at bird rivals. It’ll fly within inches of you, too—especially while you’re dutifully repositioning a full nectar feeder!

This spring, watch for aerial courtship displays! The males perform a series of diving, pendulum-like maneuvers to woo a prospective mate. These living helicopters will dazzle you with flashes of color, and astonish you with their aerodynamic maneuvers!

Hummingbird Hospitality

• Place a feeder near brightly colored, tubular flowers like fuchsias, begonias, and foxgloves.
• After hummers find the feeder, you may be able to move it to the best spot for viewing. If hummers are slow to follow, tie a red bandana to the hook.
• To resolve territorial squabbling, introduce another feeder out of eyesight from the first.
• Replace the nectar every 4 or 5 days. The Recipe: dissolve one part granulated sugar in four parts boiling water, stir well, cool completely.
• Thoroughly rinse feeders as you refill. For mold or algae buildup, use a solution of water and mild dish detergent, and if necessary, a few tablespoons of bleach. Rinse, rinse, rinse! A hummingbird feeder brush designed for small nooks and crannies can come in handy.
• Ant Moats eliminate the ant problem. We have a number of options, including a cute upside-down mini umbrella.
• For wasp or bee problems, use a feeder with Nectar Guards. Two popular hummingbird feeders, the Hummzinger Ultra and Droll Yankee’s Little Flyer, come with nectar guards as well.

{extended}

Who’s Who in Spring Backyards

2008-03-15T00:47:01Z

Bird House Tenants:

Black-capped & Chestnut-backed Chickadees
White-breasted & Red-breasted Nuthatches
House & Bewick’s Wrens
Northern Flicker
Downy & Hairy Woodpeckers
Tree & Violet-green Swallows
Western Bluebird
Wood Duck

Other Backyard Diners:
Anna’s & Rufous Hummingbirds
American Goldfinch
Brown Creeper
Varied Thrush
White-crowned & Golden-crowned Sparrows
Song Sparrow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Rufous-sided Towhee

{extended}

Seed But Not Weeds

2008-03-15T00:40:00Z

Oregon’s Department of Agriculture only recently gained the authority to test and set content standards for wild birdseed mixes, while Washington already has a similar law. What prompted the change? Commercial birdseed with weed seeds! “Wild birdseed” mixes can contain seeds of noxious or invasive weeds that harm crops and natural habitats.

In 2006 Idaho’s Dept. of Agriculture sampled 92 birdseed mixes from 34 manufacturers to find that 50% contained weed seeds like buffalobur, jointed goatgrass, field bindweed, johnsongrass, Canada thistle and hoary cress. Simply cleaning up under the feeder can’t solve this problem: bad seed spreads when birds digest the seeds.

Buying “wild bird seed” mixes from local big-box stores can result in plenty of waste and not much of a bargain. Cheap birdseed blends tend to have regionally inappropriate content, so they aren’t eaten readily by the birds of our area.

{extended}

Take a Backyard Wildlife Vacation

2008-03-15T00:37:00Z

Does your watching birds, squirrels, and mason bees brighten your days and serve as an oasis from the pressures of modern life? With fuel prices rising, and the fact that Portland summers are perfect, many of us spend a lot of time in our backyards these days. Our family enjoys hosting friends in our back yard, finding pleasure in sharing our backyard wildlife retreat. We set up a scope to let our friends watch the nesting Red-tailed Hawks, and make sure all our hummingbird and seed feeders are filled and ready for action.

Now is the time to get your backyard wildlife habitat ready for summer fun! Maybe those brown patches in your lawn need addressing with biological pest control. Perhaps you’ve decided to add a water source such as a bird bath and water dripper to improve the appeal of your habitat. Whatever your need may be, Backyard Bird Shop prides itself in the fact that we offer Portland area “wildlife watchers” expert assistance and the highest quality products they can find for their backyard critters.

New to Backyard Bird Shop? We’re a different kind of shop. Since we opened our first store in 1991 our mission has been to provide products that help connect folks with nature along with good, old-fashioned customer service. The critters await you!

If you need something for Mother’s and Father’s Day, have a look at our wide variety of nature and garden-oriented gifts. Choose from hummingbird feeders, bird feeders, beautiful jewelry, wind chimes and even garden art to find Mom the perfect gift. Whether he’d like a squirrel feeder, binoculars, a Cat Stop or even a nature cam, we’d love to help you find just the right gift for Dad’s special day. Or, let mom or dad choose their own gift, by presenting them with a Backyard Bird Shop gift card – you can give any amount and it never expires!

{extended}

Attract Birds, Foil Mosquitos

2008-03-15T00:34:00Z

ATTRACT BIRDS, FOIL MOSQUITOS:

Dripper: Hang it on the side of the birdbath, or run the tubing up a tree trunk and position the dripper on a branch above. It can stretch 50 feet away from your faucet to create moving, fresh water effect that birds find irresistible.

Mosquito Prevention: The Water Wiggler creates enough surface water movement to prevent mosquito larvae from hatching, and increases your bath’s attractiveness to birds. Two D-cell batteries lasts two months with continuous use.

Solar Pump: This innovative, environmentally friendly pump turns any bird bath into a fountain.

{extended}

The Future is Green!

2008-03-15T00:21:00Z

I read recently about our country’s new “Green movement”, and the fact that “environmental concerns are hot”. Newsweek profiled a new consumer category, LOHAS, or, Americans desiring a “Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability”. I know that the “Green” movement is not new, but I’m glad it’s gaining new momentum. The idea of “sustainability” drives a lot of what Backyard Bird Shop is about – helping people preserve and appreciate our natural world.

We try to be “Green” in our business. We recycled even when the only choice was to load up a van and drive it to a recycling center. We look for products made locally or regionally whenever possible, to support local vendors and save fossil fuels.

We like to offer “Green” products. We carry natural pest control choices, and natural mosquito prevention like birdbath drippers. We’ve built a Recycled Plastic product line—bird feeders, bird houses and squirrel feeders made from recycled milk jugs and detergent bottles.

As the organization Think Local Portland explains, when you spend your money at a local shop, your money stays local and multiplies. I guess it’s also “Green”, since shoppers and shopkeepers operating locally save resources like delivery vehicle fuel and packing material waste.

Maybe the new “LOHAS” will realize that it isn’t just important, it feels great to gear your lifestyle toward sustaining our natural world!

{extended}

130,000 Pounds Twice a Month

2008-02-25T22:07:00Z

The benefits of buying direct from the farmer’s cooperative were clear: rail car quantities would lower our costs and put us in a favorable price position. We would have increased control over seed quality, plus assurance that we were buying the freshest product available. And most importantly, customers would find fresh seed every time they came in to shop.

Fifteen years later, it takes the equivalent of 20 rail cars a year to supply our stores. Seed is delivered twice each week and we date each bag as it is delivered to ensure that our customers are buying the freshest seed possible.

Bird watching is listed as the 2nd most common pastime in America. In you backyard, it starts with offering the best seed possible.

by Scott Lukens

{extended}