The Zen Birdfeeder

(Wild) Birds by the Numbers

6    years that WBU - Saratoga Springs has been in business
(tomorrow is our anniversary!)

3,200    hummingbird feeders sold

Tie for 148    The city of Saratoga Springs' rank in New York by number of checklists submitted
in 2003 Great Backyard Bird Count
(the year WBU opened)

7    The city of Saratoga Springs' rank in New York by number of checklists submitted
in 2009 Great Backyard Bird Count

1,754            area homes feeding birds with feeders
                        on a WBU Advanced Pole System

620            area homes feeding birds with feeders with
                    a WBU Eliminator Squirrel-Proof Birdfeeder

This all makes for lots of happy birds!

---

We at Wild Birds Unlimited - Saratoga Springs NY thank you all and more importantly, the BIRDS thank you for 6 years of feeding the birds in the Saratoga Springs area and beyond!

Bark Butter: A Recipe for Success

Jim's Birdacious Bark Butter continues to be a hit with our birds, especially the Hairy Woodpeckers.  When I work from home, I have had days where I've refilled the feeder five times!

 
Hairy Woodpecker (digiscoped image)

Hairies aren't the only Bark Butter "customers"; in between their visits, the Downy Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, Red breasted Nuthatches, chickadees and titmice sneak in for a quick treat.  And the Dark-eyed Juncos, not exactly first on anyone's list of suet-loving birds, visit the feeder for their little portion of Bark Butter.  They'll eat from the top of the slab, or pick up crumbs that fell to the top of the baffle.

Blue Jay (BirdCam image)

Downy Woodpecker (BirdCam image)

Black-capped Chickadee (BirdCam image)

Dark-eyed Junco (BirdCam image)

Here's our recipe for success with Bark Butter:

- Use it on a specially-made feeder that is hanging or mounted on a squirrel-proof Wild Birds Unlimited Advanced Pole System (APS). Squirrels love this stuff too but MY Bark Butter is FOR THE BIRDS!

Red-bellied Woodpeckers on Bark Butter specialty feeder
(Image from WBU Inc. Image Library)

- Our locally harvested slab feeder is a great way to offer Bark Butter.  It looks great, fits conveniently on an APS setup and is available at WBU-Saratoga Springs.

- Use a Bark Butter applicator (AKA a fork) to apply Bark Butter to the feeder in a cross-hatch pattern.  It should look like the top of a peanut butter cookie.

 - When you apply Bark Butter, remember to leave room for the bird to perch!

- If you have a suet log feeder, you can put Bark Butter in the holes, or supplement the suet plugs by smearing Bark Butter on the sides of the feeder along side or above the holes.

Northern Cardinal - not a percher but likes Bark Butter!
(Image Courtesy of WBU Inc. Image Library)

Red-breasted Nuthatch

- As crevices are created in your WBU Seed Cylinder (shown here on cylinder feeder), fill them with Bark Butter.

- If squirrels and other critters are not an issue, put Bark Butter out on the base of a tree.  This is how I attracted Ovenbirds to eat Bark Butter.  Juncos can eat it easily this way too.

Ovenbird

While our Hairy Woodpeckers were feeding young in the nest, they were taking back huge mouthfuls of Bark Butter.  Now we can't wait for the young to find the Bark Butter for themselves!

Hairy Woodpeckers (BIrdCam images)

Want to see Bark Butter in action?  Here's a link to a selection of Bark Butter videos.  Jim's Birdacious Bark Butter was developed after many years of testing to produce a product that attracts a wide variety of birds but is easy to apply and doesn't melt or separate.

Jim's Birdacious Bark Butter is available at Wild Birds Unlimited - Saratoga Springs NY, at your local WBU shop, and online.

Wordless Wednesday Caption Contest

Rose Breasted Grosbeak male on WBU Advanced Pole System
(digiscoped image)

Got a good caption for my Wordless Wednesday? 
Submit your caption to win a copy of
BirdWatcher's Digest "Enjoying Bluebirds More" booklet.

WINNING CAPTION by CATHY
"Wonder what's down under?"

Meet my Purple Finches

I love having Purple Finches in my yard.  That "other" redbird seems to get all the attention, so I'd like to give some time to the beautiful Purple Finch.

Unlike the House Finch, the male "purply" (as I call it) looks like it has been totally dipped in a cranberry-colored dye.  There is some color variation from bird to bird, apparently impacted by their diet.  My purplies are almost all deeply colored and unabashedly beautiful.

The west side of my house is Purple Finch country - it is their preferred area to eat.  I have two feeders set amongst the pine trees filled with safflower seed.  Squirrels don't bother safflower seed much if at all, so I can put these feeders directly under the pine boughs.  The Purple Finches love the safflower and the woodland setup.

The female is not nearly as colorful but a beautiful bird in her own right.  Heavily streaked with a fancy facial pattern, she looks soft with a thrush-like breast, but the substantial beak is all finch.

Purple Finches can show up in my yard anytime of year, and I'm lucky enough to have them breed in my yard every year.  Here's to a fruitful breeding season in 2009!

 

Alpaca Wool: a Great Nesting Material for the Birds

Yesterday I talked about putting wood chips into a chickadee box and watching the chickadee pair "excavate" the box.  They do leave some of the chips in the bottom of the box and then cover the chips with soft fibers.  I've seen moss in a chickadee nest, as well as fibers taken from a coir doormat and animal hair.

For years, I've put cat hair in an old suet cage to provide birds with an easy source of nesting material.  I've also put out sheeps' wool and have had chickadees, titmice, even Purple Finches pull out wool to line their nests.  I pull tufts of the material out of the cage so the birds have an easy start at it.

 
Tufted Titmouse pulling wool for her nest


Female Purple Finch

This year I've put out a new nesting material that we're carrying at Wild Birds Unlimited - an alpaca wool nesting ball.  It is a bunch of multi-color real alpaca wool stuffed into a 5" grapevine ball.  I hung one the other day from my APS decorative branch and it took only 1/2 hour for the chickadees to start pulling wool out for their nearby nest.

Black-capped Chickadee with a tuft of alpaca wool for their nest.

Both of the chickadee pair are involved in nest-building.  They never seem to go straight from the nesting ball to their nest but often went to a tree to rearrange their find before heading to the box.

Tufted Titmice have been even more busy pulling the alpaca wool and they do it with reckless abandon.

She'll hang any which way, including upside down, and when you think she couldn't hold anymore in her beak, she'll stick her head back in there for more.

Tufties are known for using animal hair to line their nests.  We've heard stories of them plucking hair right out of a dog or even a sleeping man's head!

These natural materials are ideal to put out since they repel water and dry quickly.  After a full day of rain last Thursday, the alpaca ball was light and fluffy on Friday.  Avoid dryer lint - it hardens when it gets wet.  String and yards should be no longer than 3-4" long.

So why not consider putting out some natural nesting material for your birds - they'll put on a great show for you!

 

More Goldfinch...Young and Hungry!

My October 14th post Late Nesting Goldfinches highlighted the American Goldfinches in my yard, including the family of four that passed through on October 12.  I found it amazing that there were still fledgling birds around.

Well, ten days later, on October 22nd, I had another family of 4 pass through my yard.  The young were still in the fledgling stage, dependent on mom to feed them.  I hope you enjoy this series of photos of this little family.  (Click on any image to enlarge)

So close to the feeder, but still begging.
 

Mom, mom, mom!!!
 
  
  
  
  
  
 

It's goopy but it tastes good! 
  
  

In this series, mom is feeding one youngster and another approaches.
 

The second baby has arrived right behind mom. 
  
  

Mom says "I'm outta here!"
  
 

Mom, where did you go?  I wanted some too!
  

Here's the little family on an Advanced Pole System decorative branch.  
  
  

With the way the weather has changed (see my Rain Into Snow post), I hope this late little family is still doing fine.

 

A Productive Day in the Yard

It's been at least 5 years since I planted bulbs in the fall, but something possessed me to order some for planting this year.  I ordered them from John Scheepers, Inc., a company I've always had good luck with and that has a great selection of bulbs for my zone 4 yard.

Here's what I planted:
Magic Carpet Tulip mixture (25) - double tulips that will bloom in mid-April.  I planted these in an inner circle around the plum tree.
Allium mixture (100) - a low growing mix of white, yellow, and fuschia allium that will bloom April/May.  I planted these in the outer circle around the plum tree.
Gold Medal Narcissus mixture (50) - a wide variety to ensure a long flowering period in April/May.  I planted these in 4 groupings in the front bed.
Crocus tommasinianus Lilac Beauty (50) - star-shaped soft lilac that will bloom late March/early April.  I planted these above the narcissus in hopes that the chipmunks will leave them alone.
Iris reticulata mix (100) - low growing, mixed colors that will bloom in early April.  I planted these in 4 groups in the deck bed and 3 groups out near Jess' grave.

I'm excited to have FINALLY put some bulbs in the ground again and am already looking forward to next spring when they bloom for the first time.  I'll share photos when they do.

We had our first of the fall season Fox Sparrow yesterday October 21.  Last year, the first Fox Sparrow appeared on October 20, so they were right on time.  In looking at my notes from last year, I also noted that seven Evening Grosbeaks came through on October 20.  And the feeders in my yard were not exactly grosbeak-friendly! 

My feeder with catch-a-seed tray were damaged by the bear back in May, and I hadn't replaced that setup which the grosbeaks really seemed to prefer.  So today I put up a recycled plastic feeder with a catch-a-seed tray underneath.

 

They are all mounted on a WBU Advanced Pole System mounting setup with baffle that will keep the squirrels off.  The tray keeps the ground under the feeder clean and provides a large feeding surface for the grosbeaks, as well as for juncos, cardinals, sparrows, and others.  Birds also love the perching branch to approach the feeder and to open seeds on.

I also took in the copper birdbath dish and put out our heated birdbath.  The water in the copper bath has frozen over a couple nights already.

Notice the heavy taping of the connection between the birdbath cord and the extension cord.  I wrap the connection in electrical tape, wrap it in a baggie, then seal it with another layer of electrical tape.  This prevents moisture from getting into the connection.  This is the most common cause of heated birdbath "failure".  I leave the wrap on year-round since I just remove the entire bath and replace it with a copper tray for the summer.

We had light snow flurries today and the daytime high only reached 42 degrees.  Sweetie, the female Downy Woodpecker, has again started to use the birdhouse as a winter roost.

All are signs of the coming winter.  Take time now to put the finishing touches on your yard and get your birdfeeding stations ready for the long, cold winter which is just around the corner!

Mealworms on the Menu

In my Titmice Mouths to Feed post on September 23rd, I shared images of some of the begging that went on this year with my local titmouse family. Here's the rest of those photos. (Click on any image to enlarge)

  

Here's the handoff of a big mealworm from adult to young; a second later, it's down the hatch!

  
  
  

I put out mealworms on my Advanced Pole System® setup using the Sidedish feeder. Mine has the Rain Guard too that keeps the rain out of the dish, but is especially helpful in the winter to keep the snow out.

   

Most Wild Birds Unlimited stores sell live mealworms year-round. And birds will eat 'em up any time of year. Titmice, as well as chickadees, jays, nuthatches, and wrens will appreciate the protein boost.

  

I wouldn't recommend roasted mealworms - the birds prefer juicy live ones!  Have you ever tried feeding live mealworms to birds?  If so, what birds eat them in your yard?

 

The young titmice have learned to get food on their own, and my feeders are busy with all members of this little family. No more wing-flutters and begging, but lots of busy feeding as the temperatures begin to drop.

 

Wordless Wednesday

 
Face-off

Now Every Tree Is A Bird Feeder with Bark Butter

More than 20 years ago, Wild Birds Unlimited founder Jim Carpenter attempted to create a bird food in his kitchen that would attract Brown Creepers to his yard. The result would become Jim’s Birdacious® Bark Butter®, enjoyed by nearly 70 species of birds, including 38 birds found in New York state.

Bark Butter is eaten by more species of birds than any other bird food on the market and is available exclusively at Wild Birds Unlimited.  Follow this link to see a list of all 67 birds that have tried Bark Butter to date.  For bird feeders in New York, download a New York Bark Butter Birds Checklist to keep track of the activity in your own yard. If you attract a new bird to Bark Butter, LET US KNOW!  We'll make sure it gets on the list.  And if you can get a picture of it, that's even better!

  

Bark Butter is easily spread on any tree’s bark, simply using the back side of a fork. Appealing to seed-, fruit-, nut- and insect-eating birds, it doesn’t wash away in the rain and won’t melt in direct sun. On smooth-barked trees, I like to find a knot-hole or other fissure in the bark to put the Bark Butter.
 

From nuthatches in the Northeast to woodpeckers in the Southwest, Bark Butter has attracted birds all across the United States and Canada.

 
Photo Courtesy of WBU Inc. or Franchise Owners
 
“I had fed peanut butter for years, but felt that adding just a few more ingredients, it would draw an even wider variety of birds,” said Carpenter, founder and CEO of Wild Birds Unlimited. “Through the years, I perfected my recipe and now it’s available for everyone to enjoy.”

 
Photo Courtesy of WBU - Springboro OH 
 
Even though Bark Butter makes every tree a bird feeder, an assortment of feeders are available at WBU so a variety of bird feeding stations can offer this new treat.

 
Photo Courtesy of WBU Inc. or Franchise Owners 

Wild Birds Unlimited - Saratoga Springs offers a locally made wood slab that attaches to the Advanced Pole System®. This approach deters the squirrels and chipmunks while allowing birds to feed on Bark Butter.  Here's a Hairy Woodpecker on my slab feeder.

  

You can use existing feeders to offer Bark Butter as well.  I put it in my cedar suet log, which my smaller birds seem to enjoy.

I have also been putting back butter at the base of trees on the wooded side of my home to try to attract ground feeding birds.  I was not disappointed!  Here is the Ovenbird that ate Bark Butter numerous times and would come looking for it by circling the tree.

  

It also attracted a Dark-eyed Junco.  Neither the Ovenbird or junco are widely considered "suet eaters" yet both have repeatedly eaten Bark Butter.  I look forward to this approach to try to attract Fox Sparrows and White-throated or White-crowned Sparrows as they migrate through this fall.

 
For more information, go to the Bark Butter page on the Wild Birds Unlimited - Saratoga Springs website or follow this link to see a video of birds eating Bark Butter.

 
Photo Courtesy of WBU Inc. or Franchise Owners