Are you working to create a bird-friendly yard? Don’t forget about the pollinators! A pollinator is any animal that visits flowers in search of nutritious pollen or energy-filled nectar and, as it travels, moves pollen between plants. Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies are well-known pollinators—but they’re not alone. Here in Minnesota, many kinds of wasps, flies, moths, beetles and other insects…
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.…
At All Seasons Wild Bird Store we celebrate Earth Day every day—in little ways. Earth Day was founded in 1970 by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. The goal of the effort was to create public awareness and ultimately establish a federal bureau dedicated to clean air, clean water and threatened and endangered species. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has since…
All Seasons Wild Bird Store (wildbirdstore.com) put together recommendations for nest boxes based on information from the following sources: http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/fact… https://bbrp.org/wp-content/uploads/2… https://bbrp.org/ See also: https://wildbirdstore.com/resources/a… https://wildbirdstore.com/2021/03/08/… This video discusses placement for bluebird nestboxes, selection of bluebird houses, monitoring bluebird nests, and resources for learning more about hosting bluebirds. Special thanks to George Brown, the BBRP and Ray Marshall for photographs…
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!…
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,…