Wild Unlimited ® 8402 Old Sauk Rd., Middleton, WI 53562, 608-664-1414 www.wbumadison.com Tracks June 2010 Issue #24.6

The Father Bird’s Role in Raising Their Young Dear Friends of Nature: You can help these dads be successful by providing This month, your yard will become home to a new appropriate food and water all Summer. Good choices would generation of birds. Already, we are hearing reports of newly be high-protein foods like Summer Blend, mealworms, fledged Bluebirds, and Robins. As you watch the fledglings peanuts, Bark Butter® and suet. These energy-packed foods chase their parents, beg for food and learn the necessary will entice your birds and their young back to your yard. The skills to survive in their new young birds will learn the world, look for the presence, location of your bird food or absence, of father birds. and begin to make return Adult male birds' roles in trips on their own. raising their young differ Stop by the store this greatly from one species to month to take advantage of another. For example, male your coupon and the best Hummingbirds do nothing to prices on the best bird food help raise the young, their in town. only contribution is to mate Since Summer is the with the female. Chickadee most abundant season for and Nuthatch males feed birds to visit feeders, by their mates while they are continuing to feed your incubating and brooding, but birds, you will encourage the both adults feed the young. Male Scarlet that hit our window last year. He new parents to bring their The Bird Father of the revived and was able to away. To see his spectacular young to your yard with their Year Award goes to the color, visit our website, www.wbumadison.com . interesting, and sometimes Downy Woodpecker. Though comical, behaviors to they share daytime nest duties with their female counterparts, observe and enjoy. Summer provides a fascinating only males incubate and brood at night and roost in the nest opportunity to see adult birds feeding and interacting with until their offspring fledge. Downy males will also help feed their young, and it’s an experience that you do not want to the young after they leave the nest and assist in leading them miss. to food sources such as backyard bird feeders where the young can grow strong on suet you provide. Happy Birding! In the bird world it’s the father’s who get most of the Bob & Jan Ross attention. Being the more brightly colored and visible of the pair, the male bird has specific functions that are intended to For Pat, Sharon, Marta, Meghan, Heather, Jim, Jean, increase the success of the species. His brightly colored Patrick, Barb, Steve, Stephanie, and Tom plumage increases his chances of finding a suitable mate, Your backyard Birdfeeding Specialists at and defending and maintaining his territory, an area that has Wild Birds Unlimited abundant food, water and shelter to raise youngsters.

Saturday, June 26th, 10:30 am With Scott Craven Professor, Department of Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin Would you like to discover the secret lives of these gentle mammals? Learn how helping bats will help you and your gardens, how you can tap into this natural insect exterminator, what good are bats anyway?, where bats live, do they hibernate, and why bats hang upside down. This seminar is FREE, but space is limited. Call us at (608) 664-1414 to reserve your seat. How To Create The Perfect Feeding Station

Friday, Saturday, Sunday Your yard and deck are your safe haven. It’s your place to relax, a place to get away and enjoy the outdoors. Our exclu- June 11, 12 & 13 sive, patented Advanced Pole System® (APS) Hanging Hard- ware is the launching pad to creating your own bird feeding station masterpiece.

10% OFF In Your Yard: All Binoculars, Spotting Scopes The APS Boxed Set is complete and contained in one convenient package & in-store Tripods that’s ready to go. It’s easy to construct and maintain: just plant it into the ground, add the decorative finial (included), then fill and hang your feed- ers. Feeders pictured here are the Quick-Clean Finch and Seed Tube- Feeders (sold separately).

On Your Deck: FR With the APS Pole System you can E EE create the ultimate system that will at- FRE Harnes Pen s Strap tract the birds to your yard, but keep s ) (a $22 Len alue value) the mess off your deck—in three easy 10 v wi (a $ ics th opti steps. opt r cs ith ve purch 1. Install It: Begin by securely fas- w se o ase ha ove tening the deck mount to a rail or post. purc 0 r $150 $5 We have deck mounts that accommo- date railings of metal, wood or compos- ite. ENTER THE 2. Extend It: Next, place the APS Ex- DOOR PRIZE DRAWING tension Pole in the Deck Mount. Then add the arms or hooks you wish: an For the EZ-Attach Crook Arm, an Extended Deck Arm, and an EZ-Attach Decora- Eagle Optics tive Branch. Make sure you angle the Diamondback 8x42 Binocular arms away from your deck or patio to eliminate mess. . A $220 Value 3. Accessorize It: Top the feeding station with one of our many finials . If you have that would become a nui- sance be sure to add a baffle . Feeders: Pictured here is The Eliminator -proof Feeder , a unique squirrel/raccoon deterring feeder (see pg. 3 for more on this feeder). Filling it with No-Mess Seed will June Birding Opportunities eliminate debris on your deck. Call or visit these websites for specifics.. A suet feeder and hummingbird feeder complete your feed- ing station. MADISON AUDUBON SOCIETY (608) 255-2473, http://www.madisonaudubon.org Visit us soon at Wild Birds Unlimited to learn more about how Sat., June 5: Birds of Devil’s Lake & Baxter’s Hollow to set up your own Unique APS Feeding Station. Thu., June 10: Owen Park Wildlife Ponds Thu., June 17: Evening at Black Earth Prairie Now all you need to do is set up your lawn chairs, put your Sat., June 19: Grassland Birding in Dane & Eastern Iowa Counties Sat., June 19: of Cherokee Marsh feet up, grab your glass of iced-’whatever’, and enjoy the birds Sat., June 26: Madison School Forest—Forest Ecology and these beautiful Spring and Summer days. Happy Birding! UW A RBORETUM (608) 263-7760, http://uwarboretum.org/news/ Sun., June 13, 1:30-2:30pm: Who’s that buzzing in your ear? (walk) Sun., June 20, 1-3pm: Exploring Wetlands (walk) Sun., June 20, 8-9:30pm: Solstice (night walk) Wed., June 23, 7-8:45 pm: What’s Blooming? Sun., June 27, 12:30-4pm: Madness (walk)

Wild Birds Unlimited Food of the Month Show Dad You Care

Summer Blend Summer Blend should arrive at WBU any With a Gift from Nature day now. One of our most popular blends, Summer Blend contains 30% medium chips, 20% peanuts, 20% black oil sunflower, 10% almonds, 10% safflower, 5% cashews and 5% hulled millet. This is definitely one your backyard birds will gobble up and keep coming back for more. Summer Blend 20 lb. bag Regular Price $23.99 Functional Copper-top JUNE SALE PRICE 10% OFF $21.59 Hardware Oriole Feeder Wind Chimes DSC Member Extra 5% OFF $20.51

For Dad From You & Nature Give Dad the gift of nature this Father’s Day, June 20th . Bird Spinners Gift Cards Granite Owls GET 15% OFF Any Single Item of $25 or More*

*One discount per purchase. One coupon per customer. Offer not valid on previous purchases, bird food, pet food, tripods, optics, gift cards, Daily Savings Club® mem- berships or sale items. Offer expires 6/30/10. Hummingbird Mugs of all Birdbaths & Foun- Feeders Sorts tains in Concrete, Granite or Metal

STICK IT TO MOSQUITOS Look, Listen and Learn All About The Brazilian twist on Citronella Birds Identify birds by sight and sound. Keep your outdoor areas free of pests with Just press a button, scan a barcode and natural repellent products. These garden iFlyer plays a high-quality digital recording incense sticks, cones and candles combine of a bird's song. The removable Andiroba tree nut oils with other natural oils "ScanCode" stickers can also be placed in to create a repellent that actually works . you favorite field guide. Amazon Lights Insect Repellant From iFlyer, Book & Stickers $109.95 $99.99 $13.49 WINGSCAPES BirdCam TOP-OF-THE LINE SQUIRREL-PROOF Wingscapes BirdCam uses digital photogra- FEEDER phy and video to capture your birds while you are The Eliminator™ allows you to stop away. It’s weatherproof, action-activated, easy to from eating your seed. Featuring unique, weight- use and comes with a 1GB Mem- sensitive technology, the feeder's seed ports ory Card. See what you’ve close when a squirrel touches the perch ring. missed … The BirdCam watches You can set the sensitivity level to also exclude your feeders (or nest, birdbath, large birds such as pigeons or doves. It's easy to etc.) while you are away, so you hang, holds about three quarts of seed and is can watch whenever you want. Stop in today to backed with a limited lifetime guarantee. see some great pictures taken with our BirdCam. Eliminator Feeder $99.99 ON SALE in June $199.99

EASY TO ENJOY, EASY TO CLEAN FEEDERS Daily Savings Club Coupon Our Quick-Clean® Seed Tube Feeders are the absolute easiest to clean feeders on the market. 50% OFF Feeder Fresh A quick press of two buttons and the base slips off for easy access. These feeders attract birds, With Purchase of Any such as finches, nuthatches, chickadees and woodpeckers, and come with a lifetime guarantee WBU Quick-Clean Finch Feeder that includes raccoon and squirrel damage. We Expires June 30, 2010 also offer a variety of accessories, including trays Our Daily Savings Club members not only save money on fresh and weather guards . bird food every day, they get great deals as well. Quick-Clean® Feeders Starting at $29.99 Wild Birds Unlimited What do “Drink Your Tea” and PRSRT STD “Chick-Burr” have in common? 8402 Old Sauk Road U.S. Postage Middleton, WI. 53562 PAID Madison, WI They are both vocalizations of two very secretive male birds. www.wbumadison.com Permit No. 2783 A member of the sparrow fam- ily, Eastern Towhee sports a Return Service Requested black hood, black wings with white markings, white under- parts and rufous flanks. He hasPhoto a long by blackJoe Jackson tail with © white edges. His distinctive “drink your teeee!!!” song alerts you to his presence, but you’ll rarely see him amongst the leaf litter under the low under- growth and brushy edges of open woods. Eastern Towhee breeds from southern Saskatchewan east to Maine and south to California and Florida. Mrs. Towhee lays two to six creamy white or gray eggs in a cup nest made of sticks, grass, bark and leaves lined with soft grass and hair. The nest is built on the ground under a bush or brush pile. Incubation is in 12-13 days and is carried out by the female. You may be able to entice him to a ground feeder with cracked corn, peanuts and nut meats. A ground-level water source will draw him in also.

Scarlet Tanager is a medium- sized tanager with a brilliant red body, black wings and tail. You may never see him as his favorite place to sing is from deep in the deciduous forests and pine- woodlands he Visit Wild Birds Unlimited today! prefers. If you listen closely you will hear him, though. His distinctive “querit, queer, query, querit, queer” song sounds Mon - Fri : 9-7 8402 Old Sauk Road very much like a Robin’s song with a “buzz” at the end of Sat : 9-6 Sun: 11-5 Middleton, WI. 53562 each phrase. His distress call is the “chick-burr” noted 608-664-1414 www.wbumadison.com above. Mrs. Tanager incubates the 2-5 eggs for 13-14 days in a loose nest made of grass, rootlets, forbs and twigs and Next to Walgreens where Junction and Old Sauk Roads intersect. lined with fine grass. It is built on a horizontal branch well out Seniors Save 10% on non-sale items each Wednesday! from the trunk, 20-30 feet above ground. You may see him at a tray feeder that provides safflower seed, apple slices, June Nature Happenings suet, millet, peanut kernels, and . A water source with a mister will attract him as well. Pictured here is the Scarlet • June 12: New Moon, June 26: Full Moon Tanager that hit our windows last year. See page one for • June 14 - 16: Lyrids meteor shower another picture and explanation. • June 21: Summer solstice - the sun is at its highest point in the sky. It's the longest day of the year and the first day of summer. Visit our website, www.wbumadison.com, for more informa- • Hummingbirds are nesting; they may become scarce at your tion on these and other backyard birds. Happy Birding! feeders until July. • Tiger Swallowtail and Monarch Butterflies emerge. • Young birds leave their nests; parents are usually nearby. Do not disturb them. Inside BIRD Tracks: • is finished. Birds here now are summer residents * Free Bat Seminar that nest. * June 15% Off Coupon • Feeders can become busy with visiting parents and fledglings. * Binocular Bonanza Weekend • House Wrens are nesting. * How To: Create the Perfect • First fireflies of the year Feeding Station • Fawns continue to be born mid-May through mid-June. * Father’s Day Gift Ideas • Wood Duck and Mallard ducklings hatch and venture forth early in the month. • Canada Geese begin molting. • Young Woodchucks and Raccoons emerge We’re Your Experts in Bird Feeding. Got a question? Ask our bird feeding specialists Copyright © 2010 Wild Birds Unlimited