Is everyone adjusted to Daylight Saving Time yet?! The extra hour of daylight at the end of the day allows many of us the opportunity to enjoy backyard birds a little longer into the evening.

Water Everywhere

Birds Need Water

Providing a clean supply of water to backyard birds is essential to their health. Birds use water for drinking and bathing. I've even caught a Grackle or two dunking their peanut pieces in the water before eating them. Cleaning and refilling birdbaths at the end of the day gives Owls the opportunity to drink and bathe as well!

Offer a continuous supply of fresh water with the Birdbath and Waterer. Holds an amazing 100-ounces of water in a reservoir that fills four smaller reservoirs. Hang by the attached hook or mount on a 4x4 post.

The Droll Yankees Water Dish placed on top of a Flower Garden Pole adds a handsome water feature to any backyard. Heavy-duty plastic basin is an attractive pale blue color. Generous 13" diameter offers more birds the opportunity to drink and bathe at the same time. Water Dish can also be placed on the ground!

Keep birdbaths clean the easy way with the use of All-Natural water cleaners. Keep scrubbing to a minimum!

• BirdBath Protector: Carefree BirdBath Protector contains natural enzymes. Safely breaks down organic contaminants: sludge, water-lines and organic stains caused by birds and the environment. Add one (1) capful to water and mix thoroughly.



• Birdbath Water Cleaner: Birdbath Water Cleaner uses a proprietary blend of naturally occurring beneficial bacteria and enzymes. This proprietary formula keeps your fountain or birdbath clean and clear by breaking down organic waste and reducing nutrients, thus improving the water quality, which results in a healthier water feature.

Thanks for reading!

Spring is around the corner!

It's time to think about Birdhouses! Putting up new houses now will provide ample time for birds to get used to the new structure in their environment. Birds like to investigate multiple locations before choosing where to raise their family.

When choosing a new birdhouse keep these things in mind:

• Find out which birds in your area will likely take up residence in a man-made birdhouse.
• Choose a house that is correct for the species you are trying to accommodate: Dimensions of the house and entry hole size are crucial for success.
• Place the house in a suitable location. Proper height above the ground and facing away from prevailing winds is important.

Find out even more information about offering 'Birdie Real Estate' in the following books:

• A Guide to Bird Homes Informative booklet from Bird Watcher's Digest.
• Stokes Birdhouse Book: The Complete Guide to Attracting Nesting Birds.
• Original Birdhouse Book by Bird Watcher's Digest

Here's a list of birds that will most likely check out backyard birdhouses:

• Bluebird
• Chickadee
• Nuthatch
• Wren
• Screech Owl
• Northern Flicker
• Downy Woodpecker
• and many, many more!
  

We offer houses for a variety of cavity nesters... check them out now!

And don't forget about the bats! Now is also the right time to put up a new bat house. Check out bat houses by clicking here and learn more about bats by purchasing these bat books.

Thanks for reading!

Simple Seed Strategies

With so many types of seed and seed mixes available, it can be confusing knowing which seeds (or peanuts!) to offer in your feeders. Here's a quick rundown on your backyard birds' preferences:

• Millet: Small seeds that are round and range in color from golden tan to reddish brown. White proso millet helps attract birds to a new feeder since it is more visible. Attracts buntings, doves, finches, juncos, pheasants, quail, siskins, native sparrows, towhees, thrushes, Carolina wrens. Even bluebirds and robins will eat millet when food is scarce in winter.
  
• Milo: Hard, round, reddish seeds that only a few birds favor. When there are other seeds available in a feeder, birds will discard the milo or ignore it completely. Milo is found in inexpensive seed mixes because it is cheap and relatively big which makes it a popular filler. Attracts doves, pheasants, quail, wild turkeys.
  
• Safflower: Small, plump white seeds. Popular seed for discouraging jays and squirrels from feeders because of the bitter taste. Buy safflower to add to your current mix or use it alone. Attracts cardinals, chickadees.
  
• Striped Sunflower: Larger and thicker-shelled than black-oil sunflower. Frequently found in seed mixes, striped sunflower is a favorite food item for large-billed birds capable of cracking the shells. Attracts cardinals, jays (squirrels, chipmunks!).
  
• Black Oil Sunflower: Small black seed with a thin shell, it is the most common type of seed offered at feeders in North America. High in energy, it is the preferred food item for a wide variety of birds. Attracts cardinals, chickadees, finches, sparrows, grosbeaks, titmice, nuthatches, woodpeckers, wrens, jays and many, many more!
  
• Nyjer/Thistle: Tiny, thin black seeds. Nyjer is costlier by the pound than most other seeds but a little goes a long way. Offer in feeders specifically made for nyjer to prevent the tiny seeds from spilling out onto the ground. Nyjer is heat treated to prevent pesky weeds from growing under feeders. Attracts goldfinches, house finches, purple finches, pine siskins.
  
• Peanuts: Shelled peanuts are a popular addition to any feeding station. Attracts chickadees, jays, juncos, nuthatches, sparrows, titmice, woodpeckers. In-shell peanuts are a favorite for jays and, of course, squirrels!
  

Knowing which seed or seeds a particular species likes is only half the battle.... you also have to make sure you are offering it in the proper feeder for the species!

Mealworms

Offer something new to your backyard birds.

Mealworms are enjoyed by:

· American Robins
· Blackbirds
· Blue Jays
· Bluebirds
· Brown Creepers
· Brown Thrashers
· Cardinals
· Carolina Wrens
· Catbirds
· Chickadees
· Chipping Sparrows
· Downy Woodpeckers
· Field Sparrows
· Finches
· Grackles
· Grosbeaks
· Hairy Woodpeckers
· Indigo Buntings
· Juncos
· Kinglets
· Mockingbirds
· Nuthatches
· Orioles
· Red-bellied Woodpeckers
· Rufus-sided Towhees
· Song Sparrows
· Tanagers
· Vireos
· Warblers
· … And many more!

We even have a customer that feeds them to her chickens!