http://backyardbirdshop.com/index.php/site/index/ en mollye@comcast.net Copyright 2010 2010-06-15T23:30:00-08:00 http://backyardbirdshop.com/index.php/site/article/house_wren/ http://backyardbirdshop.com/index.php/site/article/house_wren/#When:22:30:00Z House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon) are familiar birds, largely because they thrive in altered habitats, including forest clear-cuts, parks, brushy thickets, and residential areas, and because of their habit of nesting in man-made objects, such as bird houses, mail boxes, old hats, and other objects left outside. Like other wrens, House Wrens have loud bubbling songs and harsh scolding call notes. by John Rakestraw Photograph (C) 2009 Rick Brumble Of the four species of wrens that live in the Portland/Vancouver area, House Wrens are the most plainly marked. The best field mark for recognizing a House Wren is actually the lack of field marks. This species is dull brown above and dull gray below, with a little dark barring on the wings and tail. There may be an indistinct pale line above the eye, but nothing like the bold white eyebrow seen on Bewick’s Wren. Winter Wrens are similar to House Wrens, but Winter Wrens are much darker below with barring on the sides, a more prominent pale eyebrow, and a shorter tail. Marsh Wrens are more rusty brown, with a bold white eyebrow and white streaks on the back. Marsh Wrens are often found in cattails, where you would never expect to see a House Wren. While the other wren species are found here year-round, House Wrens spend the winter in the southern U.S. and Mexico. They arrive in the area in April, and most have left by mid-September. Males begin building nests by placing small sticks in a cavity, building a platform with a depression in the middle. The female completes the nest by lining the depression with soft grasses and hair. Clutches consist of 3-8 eggs. House Wrens aggressively defend their nesting territory. Males will sometimes fill nearby nest boxes with sticks, just to keep other birds from using them. House Wrens are also known to usurp the nests of other birds and destroy their eggs. House Wrens feed exclusively on insects, so they are not likely to come to a bird feeder. But they do readily accept bird houses during the nesting season. They will use almost any kind of house, but if you want to offer a house just for wrens, choose a box with a 1” opening. This size of hole is too small for other species. Place the nest box in an area with brush piles or other heavy cover nearby. Meet the Birds 2010-06-15T22:30:00-08:00 http://backyardbirdshop.com/index.php/site/article/roosting_pockets_appeal_to_wrens/ http://backyardbirdshop.com/index.php/site/article/roosting_pockets_appeal_to_wrens/#When:19:23:00Z An inexpensive, highly functional roosting pockets can be a popular spot on a chilly or breezy night. Made from natural coco fibers, it provides a cozy pocket for small birds to roost (sleep) in at night. Photo of House Wren in Roosting Pocket by Michele Dupraw An inexpensive roosting pocket can make a cozy shelter for a small bird, protecting it from rain and wind, or providing a sleeping spot at night. We have heard multiple reports of wrens using roosting pockets at night, and it is possible for a bird to take refuge in a roosting pocket any time the weather might create the need.  Nestle a roosting pocket in a tree or bush, or hang it under an eave or off of a fence, and watch the birds take refuge from the elements. Our roosting pockets are woven of natural grasses and straw, and look as charming as they are useful. Bird Houses 2010-06-15T19:23:00-08:00 http://backyardbirdshop.com/index.php/site/article/bunches_of_birds_for_your_bucks/ http://backyardbirdshop.com/index.php/site/article/bunches_of_birds_for_your_bucks/#When:01:11:00Z Sunflower Chips, black oil sunflower seed without the hulls, is a great food to offer if you'd like to attract oodles of birds to your feeder while being lazy about sweeping hulls. Photo is an Evening Grosbeak dining on Value Sunflower Chips 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. Bird Feeding 2010-05-25T01:11:00-08:00 http://backyardbirdshop.com/index.php/site/article/evening_grosbeak1/ http://backyardbirdshop.com/index.php/site/article/evening_grosbeak1/#When:23:40:00Z If your black oil sunflower seeds are vanishing at an alarming rate, and your feeders seem especially crowded and noisy, the “grocery beaks” may be paying you a visit! If you have the honor of hosting them this year, you're lucky -- our population of Evening Grosbeaks has declined 78% in the last 40 years. Photo of Evening Grosbeak dining on Value Sunflower Chips Evening Grosbeaks are gregarious, colorful members of the finch family, with an erratic schedule for visiting Portland area bird feeders!  We’re most likely to see them in the spring as they stop at sunflower feeders to dine before continuing their journeys to breeding grounds in the Cascade Mountain Range.  About the size of a robin, these finches can appear almost parrot-like to the untrained eye!  The male Evening Grosbeak is truly a color spectacle – a large, stocky yellow body accented with black crown and tail, further contrasted with black and white wings.  Females are more camouflaged for nest-sitting:  grayish-tan all over, with the same black and white wings.  Both males and females sport heavy conical bills that are perfect for cracking sunflower seeds! Traveling in flocks of 12 to 50 birds, Evening Grosbeaks can consume significant quantities of their favorite feeder food – black oil sunflower seed!  It is said that they were given their name by an early ornithologist who believed that when stirred from its roost at night, the bird would give a peeer call.  As those of us who host the “grocery beaks” in our backyards know, their call can be heard during the day as well!  When not chowing down on sunflower seeds at a backyard feeder, Evening Grosbeaks eat a variety of fruits and nuts, buds, sap and berries.  They really like maple seeds, and also eat insects and other invertebrates. Why has the population of Evening Grosbeaks plummeted so precipitously in the last 40 years? National Audubon Society says “Evening Grosbeaks are birds of boreal and montane forests and are therefore susceptible to all the incursions into those habitats: logging, mining, drilling, acid rain, and human development for transportation and housing. Chemical control of spruce budworm and other tree pests lowers this species’ food supply.” What can we do to help? (1) Supply the migrating Evening Grosbeaks with their favorite seed, black oil sunflower, when they stop over in our area during their spring migration.  (2) Keep your feeders sanitized—wash them regularly in a solution of 10% household chlorine bleach and 90% water to disinfect them, then dry thoroughly before refilling.  (3) Find natural solutions to pest control in your lawn and garden to reduce your use of chemicals that eliminate insects that Evening Grosbeaks and other songbirds will eat.  National Audubon Society recommends that we should also pay attention to politics:  (1) encourage the preservation of boreal habitat for all birds, specifically by fighting inappropriate logging, mining, and drilling, and by promoting the designation of protected areas, and (2) back strong federal, state, and local legislation to cap greenhouse emissions, and spur alternative energy sources to retard global warming, which could ruin the forests that Evening Grosbeaks and other birds rely upon.  Meet the Birds 2010-05-24T23:40:00-08:00 http://backyardbirdshop.com/index.php/site/article/gorgeously_goldfinches/ http://backyardbirdshop.com/index.php/site/article/gorgeously_goldfinches/#When:20:46:00Z The first time I saw a “wild canary”, I thought it was a pet store escapee! by Molly Evans The first time I saw “wild canaries” at my feeder, I thought those magnificent yellow and black birds were pet store escapees!  These striking yellow birds with black wing tips were brightening up my spring backyard, perched at a black oil sunflower seed feeder.  They were content to perch and eat, eat and eat for many minutes at a time, while their compatriots fluttered around them vying for a perch.  I was thrilled to finally have American Goldfinches at my feeder, and soon learned that I could continue to please them by adding a Nyjer feeder to my backyard food court for birds.  I continued to enjoy the dazzling plumage and amusing antics of these birds through the summer months. American Goldfinches aren’t canaries, but they are “thistle birds”.  In the wild, they rely on thistle plants for food and nest-building materials. In fact, these birds nest as late as July, long after most birds have started their families.  At that time, thistle plants have seeded, providing plenty of food for their young, and there is a good availability of plant down for nest construction.  American Goldfinch parents care for their young for at least three weeks beyond the fledging stage.  It is immensely entertaining to watch the antics of the adolescents as they follow their parents to my feeders and proceed to beg to be fed!  What do they want to be fed?  The favorites are Nyjer (a substitute for thistle) and black oil sunflower seed.  In my yard I find that many young birds prefer to eat sunflower chips, which are the hulled version of black oil sunflower seed.  Since the youngsters don’t have to take the shell off the seed for sunflower chips, it’s probably the equivalent of a hungry teenager’s interest in fast food (but more nutritious). GOLDFINCH LORE: • Portland is home to American and Lesser Goldfinches.  • These birds visit nyjer or black oil sunflower feeders in groups of up to 30. • Goldfinches use birdbaths readily, and bathe a lot! • Males are bright yellow in spring and summer, molting to olive green in the fall.  Females are camouflaged olive green all year. • Goldfinches build their nests in trees or shrubs 4-10 feet high, near a water source. • Their nests are so tightly woven they can temporarily hold water. • American Goldfinches do not migrate away.  Instead the males molt, resembling the females in the winter months.  They eat at our feeders year ‘round. GOLDFINCH LURES 1.  Nyjer “Thistle” in a feeder designed expressly for that seed.  Nyjer is a thin, black seed with a high oil content, an excellent source of nutrition for goldfinches.  Offer nyjer in a “thistle stocking”, lexan plastic tubular nyjer feeder, or an appropriately-gauged metal mesh feeder.  We offer several easy-to-clean feeders with lifetime warranties that you’ll want to check out.  2.  A weather-protecting dome over your feeder enables goldfinches to eat during our frequent spring rain showers, and helps keep the seed dry.  Fresh, dry nyjer seed is much preferred. 3.  Water!  Goldfinches are birds that love to bathe!  4.  During nesting season they are enthusiastic users of the pygora goat fleece nesting material and/or raw cotton nesting material that we hang near our bird feeders. Bird Feeding 2010-05-24T20:46:00-08:00 http://backyardbirdshop.com/index.php/site/article/song_sparrow/ http://backyardbirdshop.com/index.php/site/article/song_sparrow/#When:21:32:00Z Song Sparrows are found throughout North America, but with up to 30 different subspecies, this bird may look different wherever you travel. Visitors from other parts of the country often confuse the local Song Sparrows with Fox Sparrows, but Fox Sparrows are larger. With a little practice, you will learn to recognize Song Sparrows by their distinctive, and beautiful, call note. by John Rakestraw Resident birds of the Northwest are fairly large bulky sparrows with long rounded tails. The upperparts are dark to rusty brown with dark streaks over a gray background. The underparts are dull gray with broad blurry steaks of dark brown which sometimes form a dark spot on the breast. During the winter, you may see migrant Song Sparrows from other regions. These birds may be lighter in color, with finer streaking and whiter underparts. Visitors from other parts of the country often confuse the local Song Sparrows with Fox Sparrows, but Fox Sparrows are even larger, have rows of chevrons along their sides, and lack the streaking on the head found on Song Sparrows. Song Sparrow nests are open cups built on or near the ground in heavy cover provided by brush piles or shrubs. These birds will nest in flower beds or shrubbery next to houses.  The female does almost all of the nest building, although the male is usually close by. The clutch consists of 3-5 eggs, and the pair often produces two broods each year. With a little practice, you will learn to recognize Song Sparrows by their distinctive call note. Their song, although variable, always begins with two or three introductory notes, followed by a jumble of notes and warbles. Although common, Song Sparrows usually do not form large flocks like some other sparrows. They are often found singly or in small groups, often mixed in with flocks of other species, and often near water. Song Sparrows feed on or near the ground, and will readily come to bird feeders stocked with black oil sunflower or millet. Meet the Birds 2010-05-23T21:32:00-08:00 http://backyardbirdshop.com/index.php/site/article/nyjer_like_gold_to_goldfinches/ http://backyardbirdshop.com/index.php/site/article/nyjer_like_gold_to_goldfinches/#When:18:24:00Z For those in search of gold (finches), Nyjer seed is the best bait! American Goldfinches on a Droll Yankees nyjer feeder, photographed in Vancouver by Kim Wilson American Goldfinches live year ‘round in the Portland area, though they are nomadic and may not always be seen at the same feeders.  In summer, males are bright, canary yellow with black caps, females a duller olive.  In winter, their color fades to brown or gray, though males may still show black on the forehead.  Their preferred habitat is weedy, open fields with few trees.  Goldfinches can find lots of seeds naturally, but they love this imported seed because of its high oil content.  They’ll descend in flocks to nyjer feeders! Nyjer is a small, thin black seed, similar in shape (though smaller than) rice.  Special feeders and sacks with small openings are used to offer nyjer to goldfinches, House Finches and Pine Siskins.  Feeders are most successful when placed around 15 feet away from other feeders.  This placement gives the goldfinches, who are less aggressive than the larger birds, a feeder they can frequent without being harassed!  Nyjer is best delivered straight, though some mix fine sunflower chips in with the nyjer.  Goldfinches will eat fine sunflower chips, but nyjer is there favorite.  An added bonus:  squirrels are not interested in nyjer.  They will usually go elsewhere of you are feeding “straight” nyjer in your feeder. Nyjer is imported from Ethiopia and India, and is different from our domestic thistle.  As far as goldfinches are concerned, it’s a great substitute for thistle!  The Department of Agriculture requires that nyjer be heat sterilized as it enters the country, so it will not sprout in your yard. Bird Feeding 2010-05-21T18:24:00-08:00 http://backyardbirdshop.com/index.php/site/article/window_strikes/ http://backyardbirdshop.com/index.php/site/article/window_strikes/#When:21:15:00Z Many people who feed birds are familiar with the heart wrenching feathery thud of a bird striking a window. by John Rakestraw Birds occasionally fly into windows because the reflection on the glass makes the window look like an extension of the outdoors.  In some houses, birds are able to see in one window and out another, making the birds think there is a clear path through the building. The key to preventing window strikes is to make the windows more visible to birds.  Decals placed on the outside of windows break up the reflection, allowing the birds to detect the glass.  Some people hang streamers or decorative items in frong of windows to discourage birds from attempting to fly through.  In extreme cases, windows can be covered with netting, similar to that used to cover fruit trees. Contrary to popular belief, birds do not usually break their necks when they strike a window.  Bird necks are very flexible.  If death does occur as a result of a window strike, the cause is either brain damage, an opportunistic predator, or more often, shock. Many stunned birds can be revived if you act quickly.  When you witness a window strike, gently place the bird in a small paper bag, fold the top of the bag closed (securing it with a paper clip), and bring the bird inside.  Let the bird rest in a warm, quiet place.  More often than not, the bird will revive within half an hour.  When you hear the bird flapping around inside the bag, take the bag outside and release the bird.  For expert advice, phone the Audubon Society of Portland’s Wildlife Care Center at 503-292-0304.  Click here for more information about Audubon’s Wildlife Care Center. Bird Feeding 2010-05-20T21:15:00-08:00 http://backyardbirdshop.com/index.php/site/article/black_headed_grosbeak/ http://backyardbirdshop.com/index.php/site/article/black_headed_grosbeak/#When:22:23:00Z Black-headed Grosbeaks are striking summer residents throughout much of the western U.S. by John Rakestraw Photograph (C) 2009 Rick Brumble Black-headed Grosbeak males are bright cinnamon, with black heads. The black wings and tail have large white spots, and the belly and underside of the wings are yellow. Females are duller brown overall, with a pale eyebrow stripe and collar. The wings have two whitish wing bars. The underparts are buffy to pale cinnamon with fine streaks along the sides. As their name suggests, Black-headed Grosbeaks have massive bills. The upper mandible is dark gray, while the lower is paler. Young birds resemble adult females, although young males may show brighter cinnamon underparts than females. Males often do not reach full adult plumage until they are almost two years old. The song of Black-headed Grosbeaks is a loud, rolling warble, similar to the song of an American Robin, but not as smooth. Their call note is a high sharp PWEEK. Both sexes sing, often while sitting on the nest. Black-headed Grosbeaks arrive in Oregon in April. The female constructs a cup-shaped nest of loosely woven twigs and grasses, which house the clutch of 2-5 eggs. By late July, males have already started their southward migration. Females follow soon after. Young birds can be seen into early September before joining the adults in Mexico for the winter. Their diet includes both insects and fruit, and they are frequent visitors to bird feeders offering black oil sunflower seeds. Platform feeders or tube feeders with trays are most attractive to these large songbirds. Meet the Birds 2010-05-18T22:23:00-08:00 http://backyardbirdshop.com/index.php/site/article/create_a_food_court_for_birds/ http://backyardbirdshop.com/index.php/site/article/create_a_food_court_for_birds/#When:23:18:00Z Sometimes, you’re glad to be in a mall food court or near a “restaurant row,” where enough choices are close by to please everybody. Have you thought of creating a Food Court for Birds in your back yard? Like people, birds have preferences about what, where, and how they like to eat. Here’s how you can build a Food Court for the birds in your neighborhood. Dining out is supposed to be easy and fun, but trying to find a restaurant your whole group can agree on is next to impossible.  Sometimes, you’re glad to be in a mall food court or near a “restaurant row,” where enough choices are close by to please everybody.  Have you thought of creating a Food Court for Birds in your back yard?  Like people, birds have preferences about what, where, and how they like to eat.  Here’s how you can build a Food Court for the birds in your neighborhood. Platform feeders are shallow wooden frames with durable screened bottoms (stainless steel is the most durable) for good drainage.  Some stand on short legs, others mount on poles, but all offer easy cleaning—just pick ‘em up and dump ‘em out. A low platform feeder featuring millet or cracked corn will attract ground feeders like the Varied Thrush, Spotted Towhee, Oregon Junco, Mourning Dove, a variety of sparrows, and even quail.  You might try a platform feeder several feet off the ground for larger birds and those birds that are leery of enclosed feeders. Fly-through feeders have a roof to protect food from the elements.  A lower roof may discourage larger birds, giving the little guys a better chance. Platform and fly-through feeders are the only ones that work well with a variety of foods all at once – put millet in one corner, sunflower seed in another, peanuts in another, and you’ll enjoy a wide variety of visitors.  For ultimate convenience, fly-through feeders with screen bottoms are great. Hopper feeders have storage bins that hold lots of seed.  That’s a real convenience for hard-to-reach locations and for popular foods like black-oil sunflower seed.  A hopper feeder is also a good choice for windy locations, where lighter foods can blow away. Tube feeders, plastic cylinders with openings and perches, are a favorite with smaller birds.  These plastic versions of the hopper feeder don’t absorb water and are easy to clean.  A “tube top” or plastic dome can offer some protection from wet weather.  Add a tray on the bottom, and even larger birds can access the feeder. Thistle feeders are tube feeders with small openings designed specifically to dispense the tiny thistle seed.  A thistle feeder can give less aggressive birds like goldfinches a better chance for an undisturbed meal.  House Finches, Pine Siskins, and even Song Sparrows may also enjoy your thistle feeder.  A thistle stocking feeder is an inexpensive way to experiment with thistle feeding.  Birds cling to the mesh bag of thistle and pick the seed out right through the fabric. Suet Feeders attract bushtits, flickers, woodpeckers, chickadees and nuthatches.  A simple, wire mesh suet feeder mounted on a branch or tree trunk will work perfectly well unless starlings try to take over!  Starling-resistant suet feeders, having a roof and sides to force birds to cling and feed from the bottom, will help to discourage these dominant birds.  Backyard Bird Shop offers a variety of suets, from Almond, Blueberry and Peanut to insect suet and more! Hummingbird feeders dispense a nectar substitute that can be easily made at home with sugar and water.  Hang your feeder near red, deep-throated flowers like salvia or fuschia, and hummingbirds will find it sooner.  Anna’s Hummingbirds stay in the Portland area all year long, so when fall comes you’ll need to decide whether to feed them through the winter, or remove your feeders until next spring.  Some other birds, like finches, may surprise you by patronizing your hummingbird feeder, too! Window feeders have suction cups that allow you to mount them directly to a window.  This is great news for apartment dwellers, and even if you have a thriving Food Court in your yard, a window feeder can bring the birds up close for a good look.  Choose a window in a room that’s not too busy.  A tree or bush close by helps! Cage feeders can save some seed for your birds, by thwarting squirrels’ attempts to raid the feeder!  Often a tube surrounded by wire mesh, these feeders allow small and mid-sized songbirds to slip through to perch on an internal tube feeder, but prevent access by squirrels, and larger birds like Scrub and Stellar’s Jays.  Other squirrel-resistant feeders are available, including those that close off access to the seed when a squirrel perches on them. Water can attract a wider variety of birds to your yard than anything else you can provide!  All birds need a drink and a bath now and then.  Select from traditional cement pedestal bird baths, ground baths, hanging baths, aggregate baths and more, to find one which complements your backyard theme.  Moving water is especially attractive to birds-- a “mister” or “dripper” attachment will drip fresh water into your birdbath.  Birdbath de-icers are beneficial for cold winter weather. Finally, consider habitat as an important factor in attracting birds.  The more natural cover you can offer – shrubbery and trees, heavy brush, snags and standing dead timber—the more birds will feel welcome in your yard. Bird Feeding 2010-04-30T23:18:00-08:00