’S-EYE VIEW Volume 21 Issue 5 | September/October 2014

The : In this issue... Seasonal Tips...... 1 Chirps...... 2 Seasonal Checklist...... 2 Bird,What Makes Us Experts?Inverted! Feeder Favorite...... 3 +Early Autumn Seasonal Checklist Featured Products...... 4 Backyard Birding Quiz...... 4

Bloomington SEASONAL TIPS 816 West 98th St. (Clover Center) Bloomington, MN 55420 952.884.4103 Prep for Fall VisitorsBy Wayzata Manager MELISSA BLOCK Eagan 2143 Cliff Rd. Are you prepared for influx of feathered guests to your backyard in the coming (Cedar Cliff Shopping Center) Eagan, MN 55122 months? Now is the perfect time to clean your birdhouses and feeders in 651.459.0084 anticipation of the great Minnesota birding get-together known as Fall Migration.

Minnetonka A clean feeder not only looks good, it prevents the bleach. No matter what 4759 County Rd. 101 spread of disease among backyard visitors—and you use, make sure to rinse (Westwind Plaza) entire bird populations, for that matter. A dirty bird thoroughly for at least 10 Minnetonka, MN 55345 952.935.5892 feeder can harbor bacteria and mold. Given the seconds. There should be no choice, wild much prefer clean, fresh lingering slime, grime or bad White Bear Lake to moldy seed. smells. 2703 East Cty. Hwy. E. Now, to reach all the tight (Cty. Rd. E. and Hwy. 120) Hosting the Perfect Dinner Party ▲ Fall is a good time corners and small ports, use a White Bear Lake, MN 55110 Soon you’ll be the host of a great feast because to wash feeders! good scrubbing tool. For tube 651.653.8705 migration season is well-nigh. Before dinner guests feeders it helps to have a long-handled brush with arrive you want to have clean dishes, right? Wayzata & Wild Bird Delivers stiff bristles. An old toothbrush is good for cleaning Of course! Clean all feeders inside and out, 15710 Wayzata Blvd. small parts and tight corners. A good scrub brush (394 Frontage Rd.) including the trays, perches, feeding ports and with stiff bristles helps in cleaning hopper feeders. Wayzata, MN 55391 lids. There are several cleaning solutions suitable Most hopper feeders have one removable Plexiglas 952.473.4283 for feeders. For heavy-duty sanitization, use 1 part side for easier cleaning. Be sure to clean out the bleach to 9 parts hot water. Commercial bird feeder WILDBIRDSTORE.COM feeding tray. cleaning solutions are also available. I prefer to Allow the feeder to completely dry. Any lingering Bird’s-Eye View is published use unscented dish detergent to clean my feeders, moisture can lead to mold and mildew. Once dry, to share the joy of backyard birds as it gets the job done just fine. Using white vinegar with All Seasons Wild Bird Store’s refill the feeder with quality, fresh seed. is also a good alternative to harsh products like customers and friends. (continued on page 4)

All Seasons Wild Bird Store | Your local backyard birding experts | WILDBIRDSTORE.COM ❈ page 1 CHIRPS SEASONAL CHECKLIST Your Local Backyard SEPT. Birding Experts. & OCT. ByEarly Minnetonka Manager C arolAutumn Chenault In a recent All Seasons Wild Bird Store meeting we were discussing our tagline— “Your Local Backyard Birding Experts”—  Keep feeders up until  Clean your heated birdbath with white as part of a quick review of our brand. you don’t see any hummers for a week, vinegar to remove any lime scale. We wanted to make sure we weren’t going or until the nectar freezes. Migrating Thoroughly rinse before adding bath astray from our identity and to see if there will continue to visit water. was anything that needed updating. We your feeders into October.  Add peanut pickouts, medium examined our tagline: are we really experts?  Fill Nyjer™ feeders. Goldfinches sunflower chips and/or to feeders After some discussion, it became clear to are here all year, though you may not for migratory Red-breasted me there’s no question that we are experts recognize them now that nesting arriving in the fall. when it comes to backyard birding. Our staff season is over. They don’t need has more credentials and education than  Scatter Finches’ Choice or Spectrum I’m sure any other bird store in the country, their bright yellow plumage Mix on the ground or in a ground feeder including: to attract a mate, and for visiting Juncos. would now only • Completed courses from: Cornell Lab of  Don’t cut the seed attract a predator, (Bird Biology and Courtship heads from your and Rivalry in Birds), University of so the males’ winter plumage is perennials. Birds Minnesota (Biology, Raptors, Trees, ▲ a dull olive green, similar to the will eat these seed Bogs & Marshes, Deer, Moose & Bear, females’▲ plumage. heads into the Wildflowers, MN Dogs), University of  Watch the skies for migrating birds and winter. Particularly ▲ Wisconsin (Environmental Studies degree butterflies; rivers of robins, Red-winged program), U of MN Extension Service valuable are purple coneflower, black- Blackbirds and grackles. Night Hawks, (Master Gardener). eyed Susan, sunflower and hollyhock. Blue Jays and Turkey Vultures are also • Volunteer experience with: Wildlife  Clean feeders before winter. Use a seen in migrating flocks. Rehabilitation Center, Raptor Center, solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts hot Como Zoo, Eastman Nature Center  Visit Hawk Ridge in water or a mild solution of unscented • Average of 20 years backyard bird- Duluth, where major dish detergent. Clean feeders inside and feeding experience migrations of Sharp- out, including all trays, feeding ports,

• Yards designated as Certified Wildlife shinned Hawks, ▲ perches and lids. Rinse the feeders Habitats Broad-winged Hawks and with clear water for at least 10 seconds others may be witnessed. and make sure that they’re completely ~Al and Dave Netten  Visit Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge dry before refilling. We offer a feeder ❈ for a mass gathering of Sandhill Cranes. cleaning service. Visit one of our stores  Update or add to your pole system or call us for more information! Worry-free Guarantee! before the ground freezes.  Store away . Indian meal moths We want our customers to have a worry-free  Plant trees or woody shrubs. Robins are very active in September. To prevent experience with every purchase. If you’re and Cedar Waxwings feed on the fruits unwanted guests, store your seed in not completely satisfied with any item of mountain ash, viburnums, dogwoods tins on the deck, in the garage or in the purchased from our store, simply return and crab apple trees. shed. For easy access, store smaller it to us for an exchange or refund. quantities in the freezer. To remove  Consider a heated birdbath for the No worries . . . ever. moths, install a moth trap (sold at all upcoming winter. Birds that don’t of our neighborhood stores). Visit our Facebook page to post ordinarily go to bird feeders, like over- photos, ask questions and be the first to wintering robins, always enjoy a water know about upcoming sales and events. source.

All Seasons Wild Bird Store | Your local backyard birding experts | WILDBIRDSTORE.COM ❈ page 2 FEEDER FAVORITE Topsy -Turvy Nuthatches By Minnetonka Manager CAROL CHENAULT Pioneers referred to nuthatches as “the topsy-turvy birds” due to their acrobatic feats. In particular, the White-breasted Nuthatch, sometimes called “the upside-down bird,” is often seen traveling head- first down tree trunks searching for tasty insect morsels.

The “Minnesota” Nuthatch maintain their pair bond year-round, not just eye distinguish the Red-breasted. These petite We have two species of nuthatch in Minnesota, during mating season. For nesting they favor nuthatches forage on smaller branches, prying the White-breasted Nuthatch and the Red- silver maple, American elm, hackberry or black up flakes of bark in search of insects and breasted Nuthatch. They are both most likely walnut trees. These nuthatches are absolutely larvae and extracting seeds from cones and to use a natural tree cavity, old woodpecker endearing as they the bases of needle clusters. hole or a rotted knot hole in a tree for nesting. hitch their way Satisfying the Picky Eater Nuthatches that don’t migrate regionally begin about the trunk of Nuthatches are experts at determining the pairing as early as December. Those that trees in a zigzag quality of seeds. They’re constantly picking migrate back to their breeding grounds form motion. They move up and weighing seeds because the heavier pairs in March or April and maintain their pair up and down the seeds are the freshest, with more oil content bonds even after mating season. trunk and main and bigger nut meats. Those seeds are chosen branches of trees. All nuthatches store food in caches, spending and others are discarded. Buying high-quality Their incredible ▲ Red-breasted Nuthatch much of the autumn finding and hiding seeds. (Customer photo by seed and rotating the supply (first in, first agility is a result The name “nuthatch,” from the Old English “nut Kathy Lee Harwell) out) to ensure freshness will keep nuthatches of extra-long hind hack,” is a result of the birds’ feeding behavior. returning to your feeders. toe-claws (which are nearly twice the size of They wedge a large seed into crevices and the front toe-claws), allowing them to hang Nuthatches benefit from the quick energy and “hack” or hammer the seeds open with their upside-down with ease. They have a slight easy access of peanuts, suet, mealworms and chisel-like bills. upward curve to the bill. White-breasted seeds from backyard bird feeders. Add dried Nuthatches eat a variety of seeds, insect and mealworms or medium sunflower chips to plant material, including weevils, wood borers, feeders for extra protein and fat. leaf beetles, ants, gypsy moth larvae and tent Staying Warm Through the Winter caterpillars. Birds need to eat enough during the daylight The Red-breasted Nuthatch prefers boreal hours to increase their fat stores by as much as forests, with the abundance of spruce and fir 15% daily during colder months. Those stores trees. However, they’re “irruptive,” meaning are used up during the night by their rapid they move about the state to find food sources. metabolisms or by shivering in an effort to ▲ White-breasted Nuthatches It is the smaller of the two nuthatch species stay warm. That explains why there is so much So . . . Is That the Red or the White? common in Minnesota. Both have blue-gray activity at the feeders first thing in the morning. The White-breasted Nuthatches prefer mature backs, but a rufous/rusty chest and underparts Birds have to quickly begin the process of deciduous forests, especially woodland edges. as well as black “racing stripe” through the replenishing those fat stores lost during the They are mostly residential, non-migratory and night in order to combat the cold. ■

All Seasons Wild Bird Store | Your local backyard birding experts | WILDBIRDSTORE.COM ❈ page 3 SEASONAL FEEDING TIPS

(Prep for Fall Visitors, from page 1) STEP 2: WASH AND DRY THE HOUSE hole on wood birdhouses. This makes the Scrub the house thoroughly with a weak house unsafe for nesting chickadees, wrens Birdhouses Need Cleaning Too bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts and . Attach metal portals with the The fall is also a great time to clean and water) or a half-and-half solution of white correct-sized hole to repair this problem. repair your birdhouses to protect them over vinegar and water. Be sure to get all the the long winter and prepare them for spring. STEP 4: STORE OR RE-HANG corners, drainage and ventilation holes Dirty birdhouses can lead to rodents, insects, Some people like to leave their cleaned and the entrance hole. Rinse the house feather mites or fungus. birdhouses out for winter roosting, but thoroughly with clean water to remove all beware of mice and squirrels using them. STEP 1: REMOVE NESTING MATERIAL traces of cleaning solution. Dry the house If you leave your birdhouses out over winter, First, put on a good pair of work gloves and for several hours in full sun. This will break be sure to clean them again in the spring. face/dust mask; then open the birdhouse. down any remaining bleach residue and Birdhouses with swinging sides, hinged roofs ensure that no mold or mildew will grow. With the feeders sparkling and birdhouses or removable fronts are the easiest to clean, cozy and clean, you’re in position to host a STEP 3: INSPECT AND MAINTAIN but you may have to partially disassemble grand fall get-together. Cheers! ■ Check the house for loose hinges or your house(s) for best cleaning. Remove old protruding nails, screws or splinters— nesting material and scrape out any clumped anything that might injure the birds. Make matter. This material should be disposed of repairs as necessary. Oftentimes a squirrel in a plastic bag to prevent the spread or woodpecker may enlarge the entrance of parasites.

FEATURED PRODUCTS BACKYARD BIRDING QUIZ Best Long Brush Feeder Fresh™ TRUE OR FALSE? Great for Cleaning Tube Feeders Prevent Excess Moisture in Your Seed ① Common bird seeds contain Stop struggling to reach deep inside Feeder Fresh helps keep feeders dry and antioxidants that help birds your tube feeder! This brush is 24" long, reduces mold toxins. It is chemically similar resist infections. with a wooden handle. The stiff bristles to sand but is produced to maximize __ True __ False make it easy and effective to clean your moisture absorption. Feeder Fresh does not tube feeders ■ ② Having access to supplemental Best Long Brush ▲ swell when it absorbs the moisture and the particles do not clump together. Once the food, like that in a bird feeder, Feeder Fresh absorbs it’s own weight it will reduces a bird’s stress levels. Quick-Clean Mesh discontinue absorbing and be identical to __ True __ False Peanut Feeder the sand grit that birds normally ingest. ■ ③ Survival rates are higher for birds Great for Nuthatches! that have access to supplemental The Aspects® Quick-Clean Peanut food, like that in a bird feeder, Mesh Feeder is made of stainless than birds that don’t. steel mesh and has an easy-to- remove base for cleaning. The __ True __ False seed diverter at the bottom of the ④ You shouldn’t feed the birds feeder moves the seed toward the in the fall because it may delay mesh, enabling the birds to reach ▲ Feeder Fresh stops mold before it forms. their migration and cause them every seed or nut. When filled to suffer in the cold. with shelled peanuts, sunflower

kernels or black oil sunflower in __ True __ False the shell, this feeder is irresistible University.) Milliken by conducted (Study

▲ ■ Quick-clean to “clinging” birds False 4. True, 3. True, 2. True, 1. Answers: peanut feeder Have an idea for a future issue of Birds-Eye View? Photos and articles may be submitted by email to [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter at WildBirdStore.com to receive information about backyard birding, store events and exclusive discounts.

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