DON’T HAVE A HEATED BIRD BATH?

If you live in a location that drops below freezing in the winter months, then there are a few steps you need to take to make sure that your birdbaths survive until spring:

Put the birdbath in winter storage. Terracotta or clay birdbaths cannot be stored outdoors in freezing temperatures. Because they are porous and retain some moisture, they are prone to cracking outside because the moisture in them will freeze and expand several times during the course of the winter.

Ceramic bard baths are much like their terracotta and clay counterparts. While the coating on ceramic pots does keep much of the moisture out, small chips or cracks will still allow moisture in. Like with the terracotta and clay birdbaths, the moisture in these cracks can freeze and expand, which will make larger cracks. They need the same winter TLC.

Follow these simple steps in the fall, and you will be able to enjoy your birdbaths for many summers to come.

Give your birdbath a thorough cleaning. The cleaning ensures that there are no diseases and pests that will survive the winter. Use a mixture of warm, soapy water with about ¼ Cup of bleach. This will kill bugs and fungus that may be hanging onto the bowls.

Once the birdbath is clean and dry, it is a good idea to wrap them in bubble wrap or newspaper, to help prevent chips and breaking while they are being stored.

Thanks for reading! Birdfeederauthority.com

A Heated Bird Bath is the Way to Go!

A Heated Bird Bath is the Way to Go!.

A Heated Bird Bath is the Way to Go!

We all love to watch the birds! A bird bath is a great way to attract many varieties of birds to your backyard. They give wild birds a safe place to get a drink and enjoy a nice relaxing bath. Bird baths also give home owners an opportunity to enjoy birds all year round.

Consider a heated bird bath!

 If you want to keep a birdbath ice-free during sub-freezing days, here’s an idea, Birdfeederauthority offers birdbaths with built-in, thermostatically controlled heaters. Immersion heaters are also a good idea. The heaters turn off if the water in the bath dries up. Ideally, plug your heater into a ground-fault interrupted circuit (available from hardware or electrical supply stores) to eliminate the chance of electric shock.

Keep your birds “plugged in”.

 

2013 Top Ten Meals for Your Birds

2013 Top Ten Meals for Your Birds.

2013 Top Ten Meals for Your Birds

10. Black-oil sunflower seed. This seed is the “Prime Rib” of the bird world. Almost any bird that will visit a bird feeder will eat black-oil sunflower.

9. Peanuts. Peanuts, in any form are also a favorite (with squirrels too).

8. Suet. Most humans don’t want a lot of fat in their diet, but for birds in winter, fat is an excellent source of energy. Ask at your grocery store butcher counter if you don’t see packages of suet on display. It’s usually FREE!

7. Good mixed seed. Mixed seed has a large amount of sunflower seed, cracked corn, white millet, and often peanuts!

6. Nyjer/thistle seed. Although it can be expensive, Nyjer, or thistle, seed is eagerly consumed by all the small finches and Chickadees.

5. Safflower. This white, thin-shelled, conical seed is eaten by many birds and has the reputation for being the favorite food of the northern cardinal.

4. Cracked corn. Sparrows, blackbirds, jays, doves, quail, and squirrels are just a few of the creatures you can expect at your feeders if you feed cracked corn.

3. Mealworms. Feed mealworms to your nesting bluebirds. They’ll come back time-and-again.

2. Fruit. Humans are supposed to eat at least three servings of fruit every day. Fruit is also an important dietary element for birds, but it can be hard to find in many areas in midwinter. Cut up grapes, slices of citrus fruits, apple or banana slices, and even melon rinds, and watch your enjoy this mid-winter treat.

1. Homemade bird treats. Create your own recipes! Smear peanut butter on a tree trunk or a pinecone, then sprinkle it with seed. Melt suet in your microwave, and pour it into an ice-cube tray sprinkle it with peanut bits, raisins, apple bits, or other bird foods. After they’re frozen, treat your birds to this one-of-a-kind meal!

And The Winners Are….

The Top Ten Birds Of 2012:

10. Tufted Titmouse

9. House Finch

8. Black Capped Chickadee

7. American Crow

6. Blue Jay

5. American Goldfinch

4. Downy Woodpecker

3. Dark-Eyed Junko

2. Mourning Dove

and, taking the #1 spot, birdfeederauthority’s favorite…

The Northern Cardinal

New Year’s Resolutions for 2013

Resolve to become a more active birder in the new year. Study a common bird, such as the northern cardinal, to learn its life history.

Keep a list of the species you see as you are out and about, even when you go on trips. Use a checklist. Use a Smartphone app like BirdsEye or Birdlog when you’re out in the woods.

Volunteer at a nature center or a local park. Help at a school by donating a bird feeder and seed or offer to assist children in the garden or on field trips.

Spend 2013 studying the life of a single bird. Choose a bird that lives in urban, suburban and rural areas. Discover which birds are most common in your area. Which birds are the most vocal? Do they travel with a mate?

Whatever you do, enjoy the beauty that birds bring to your own back yard!