Nesting season is almost here! This year, consider providing a place for your backyard birds to raise their young. It’s a great way to get an up-close look at the different life stages of your favorite birds! The best bird houses are made with quality materials like untreated wood (order of preference: cedar, pine or cypress or non- pressure treated…
Birds will flock to open water! When temperatures drop, birds are in a constant struggle to maintain their body temperatures. A steady source of fats and proteins will help to nourish and fuel birds’ metabolic needs and keep them warm. But also important—a source of water that isn’t frozen and doesn’t require using body heat to melt it. The solution: install…
Pole systems allow you to create a feeding station that’s optimally placed in your yard. They also allow your to customize the number and placement of feeder and perching spots. It may seem daunting when you’re considering how to set yours up, so we created this video as a guide to the Erva pole systems we carry in our…
Note: this is the full article by Guest Contributor MELISSA BLOCK. An excerpt is featured in the March/April 2019 edition of our Bird’s-Eye View Newsletter NEST DESCRIPTION : Cardinals Males sometimes bring nest material to the female, who does most of the building. She crushes twigs with her beak until they’re pliable, then turns in the nest to bend the twigs…
There’s a wide range of foods you can offer on a bird Christmas tree that will attract a wide variety of birds and the more you decorate a tree the more species you will see. Make sure that your bird treat tree is visible from a comfortable spot in your house. What a delightful sight on a cold wintry day!…
Want to attract more birds to your yard this winter? Supply a source of open water! When temperatures drop, birds are in a constant struggle to maintain their body temperatures. A steady source of fats and proteins will help to nourish and fuel birds’ metabolic needs and keep them warm. But also important—a source of water that is accessible (i.e.…
My wife’s and my yard is not manicured in “normal” fashion. No chemicals are used, and little seeding or sodding has been done. It is push-mowed. The wooded third of the property is not managed. Given this setting, we looked at certifying our yard as a “wildlife habitat” through the National Wildlife Federation. It took just a little money, elbow…
Providing a healthy home for backyard birds isn’t difficult, but there are some simple tips you should observe in order to make sure your bird’s abode is a safe and attractive place to create a nest. Pay attention to dimensions. With birdhouses, size does matter. A birdhouse should have the proper dimension; entrance hole size, floor size and entrance height.…
Hosting Eastern Bluebirds in your yard is rewarding. You get a close-up look at these beautiful, iridescent birds. You also get the satisfaction of knowing you’re helping to restore bluebird populations. It’s not difficult to host bluebirds, but you should be aware of what’s involved before you get started. This video gives you an introduction to hosting bluebirds. For more information,…
Not all birds eat from our backyard feeders but all birds need fresh water. Here are some tips for keeping your birdbaths healthy for your birds. Stone or ceramic birdbaths are best cleaned with a solution of 9 parts water and 1 part bleach. Lime deposits can be removed from plastic birdbaths with a mixture of half white vinegar…
We know the backyard birds that usually nest in our birdhouses: House Wrens, Chickadees, Bluebirds, and House Finches. But what about our other backyard birds, like the Cardinal, Blue Jay, Goldfinch, Robins, Hummingbirds or Orioles? Where do they nest? Cardinal nests are usually very well hidden in dense shrubs or trees, about 3-10 feet above the ground. The cup-shaped…
Many varieties of trees and shrubs depend on pollinators to reproduce, such as apple, pear, plum and cherry trees. Insect pollinators include bees, butterflies, beetles, moths, flies and wasps. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources we have about 400 native wild bee species. Some examples of trees that are pollinated by insects include: Eastern Redbuds, Nannyberry and Gray…
Our favorite songbirds can be open nesters or cavity nesters. Open nesters build or weave nests out in the open in cattails, bushes, trees or on top of ledges. Cavity nesters use a bird house/nest box or hole in a tree to raise their young. Open nesters include birds like: Northern Orioles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Northern Cardinals, American Goldfinches and Blue…
Join Us April 2, 2017 for “Let’s Talk Bluebirds!” George Brown, coordinator for Ramsey County Bluebird Recovery Program of MN (bbrp.org), will be leading a Bluebird Workshop at our White Bear Lake store April 2 from noon until 3pm. George has been monitoring bluebird trails since 1995. He currently monitors bluebird trails at Dellwood Hills golf course, Oneka Ridge golf…
Want to make your yard irresistible to birds? Try adding motion and sound to your birdbath! Motion on the water’s surface or the sound of falling water is like a magnet to birds because they instinctively equate moving water with natural water sources that are cleaner and healthier than stagnant water. The sound of moving water also lures birds that…