Wild Bird Center header
          "Boulder Backyards"
                  Your Backyard Bird Feeding
                            and Bird Watching Experts

                        February, 2008
In This Issue
-Welcome to "Boulder Backyards"
-Seed Vendor Update
-Sandhill Cranes are Coming
-Ask Steve
-COUPON SAVINGS!
-Send Us Your Pictures
-Upcoming Events: Great Backyard Birdcount
 
 
lovebirds
 

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Wild Bird Center Saturday Walks:

From 7:30 am (promptly) to 9:45 am (approximately)
Every Saturday year-round.
Every last Saturday of the month we travel further afield than normal and return a little later. 

Birdwalks
 
 
 
 
lovebirds
  
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Wild Bird Center
of Boulder
Quick Links
 
 
Xcel Energy BirdCams
 
Spring is in the air and our raptors have already started nest selection, construction, and even egg laying. One fun way to participate in the lives of these raptors is viewing Xcel Energy's Web Cams
http://birdcam.xcelenergy.com.
 
One of the cameras is in the great horned owl nest box located on the smoke stack of the Valmont Power Plant. Another camera shows the bald eagle nest at the Platteville Plant. Bookmark these cameras and check in on birds this spring.
                                    owl cam
owl_birdcam
$100 Gift Card
                                 eagle cam
Welcome to "Boulder Backyards!"  We value your relationship.
 
Wild Bird Center of Boulder
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(above images: flamingos celebrating valentine's day)


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Seed Vendor Update            peanut suet

We have a new seed vendor for the Wild Bird Center! They are based in Greeley and we look forward to a long and beneficial relationship with them. As it turns out, some of the new vendor's staff know us from a seed vendor we used back in 1989-92. They know the nature of our store and are striving to meet all of our needs. You may have seen some changes at the store. For example, Front Range Blend has changed to a similar seed mix called Supreme. Frequent Feeder credits will change to the new seed names and mixes. Again, we want to thank you for your understanding as we make this vendor switch and ask you to persevere with us as we strive to improve the store. Please give us feedback as we proceed. Thank you.
Sandhill Cranes Wing Their Way North
by Scott Severs
                                                                 sandhill crane
sandhill crane
In just a few weeks, the skies begin to come alive with the frog-like sounds of Sandhill Cranes. The airspace in the San Luis Valley and along the Platte River in Nebraska hosts the biggest show. Each place harbors tens of thousands of these stately ancient birds. These spectacles should not be missed; at least once in one's lifetime this awesome display of natural history must be experienced.

 

In Colorado, the biggest concentration of cranes descends into the San Luis Valley along the floodplain of the Rio Grande River at the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge. These birds arrived from Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, and after a few weeks of fueling up and courtship, will wing their way northward to the mountain valley wetlands in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. A few will grace us with their family life in the Yampa River valley west of Steamboat Springs.

 

In Nebraska, the cranes stage in even larger numbers. Almost 25x more cranes flock into the shallow channel of the Platte between Kearney and Grand Island. It's almost a perfect situation as the cranes feed during the day on invertebrates and waste corn in farm fields along the banks of the river. At dusk they return to roost in on sandbars mid-channel in the Platte, the water serving as an early warning system if coyotes rush the flock from the shore. Some of these cranes will migrate up to Alaska, continue over the Bering Strait and nest in Russia!

 

Each location provides a slightly different experience for the naturalist. Visitors to Monte Vista have the spectacular mountain backdrop framing the cranes' daily activities. In Nebraska, visitors are treated to an intimate portrait of crane life by visiting the blinds at Rowe Sanctuary and near Grand Island.

 

Here are some important dates and links for viewing cranes:

Colorado peak migration: Late February to mid-March

Monte Vista Crane Festival, March 7-9, 2008: www.cranefest.com

Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge: www.fws.gov/alamosa

Nebraska peak migration: Early March to early April.

Rivers and Wildlife Celebration, March 14-16, 2008, Kearney, NE: www.nebraska.audubon.org/RWC.htm

Rowe Sanctuary, Kearney: www.rowesanctuary.org

Wings Over the Platte, March '08, Grand Island: www.visitgrandisland.com

   steve_kids_spottingscopeAsk Steve

Q: I have at least 20 robins in my yard. Are they supposed to be here now?

 A: Yes, we always have robins along the Front Range Corridor year-round. Some winters, however, we have more than others depending on how severe the winter is and how much food (i.e. fruit) was produced in the previous summer. The notion that robins have red breasts and arrive in the spring is a leftover from European Colonialists. In Europe and Britain, robins are warblers that really do have red breasts and arrive in the spring. However, the American Robin is a thrush with an orange breast and is a partial migrant over much of its U.S. range. Partial migrants are birds that do migrate, but winter and summer ranges overlap. Robins have a huge overlap range and Colorado lies well within this intersection. I have also noticed more robins around my bird bath. It could be coincidence or it could signal the beginning of migration. Studies have shown that most robins migrate north along the 37°F average isotherm. That is the region which has an average daily temperature of 37°F. Check out the Great Backyard Bird Count Web Site to view range maps for robins at www. birdsource.org/gbbc.
      - - - - - Coupon - - - - -  Coupon - - - - - Coupon - - - - -
 
Buy 3 suet cakes
and getchicadee on suet feeder  the 4th one
    FREE!
    
 
Mention CODE WBC208. Call (303) 442-1322 or bring in to redeem. Some restrictions may apply.  Not valid in combination with other promotions.  Expiration date:  March 6, 2008. 
 
 
- - - - - Coupon - - - - -  Coupon - - - - - Coupon - - - - -
Send Us Your Pictures

A fun new feature at the store is a digital photo frame to show camera lenscustomer pictures. Please send us photos of your backyard wildlife and we will add them to our slide show. Along with your pictures please give us your name, date of the photo, and your general location. (We especially love to get pictures of birds on feeders) E-mails can be sent to WBCBoulderCO@aol.com.
Upcoming Events                                   

Great Backyard Bird Count Comes to Birders this Month
Local backyard birders can add to the knowledge of our American birds by submitting their sightings of local birds to the Great Backyard Bird Count, February 15-18, 2008. This nationwide count of birds is for all ages and all levels of birders, from beginners to experts. Boulder County birders are leaders in the state in terms of the number of participants. It is easy as 123 to participate, just count the birds for as little as 15 minutes on any or all the days of the count, then submit your sightings on line at birdcount.org. These counts help to assess the health of our birds, timing patterns of migration, irruptions of Arctic and boreal birds, and much more. On our birdwalk on February 16th, we will be counting the birds for the event. Kids can also count the birds around their schools too!

If you need more information on how to participate, give us a call at 303-442-1322. We will be happy to get you started on your own backyard bird count. Complete details can be found at birdcount.org.
We Love to Hear From You!
 
Stop on in, send an email, or, give us a call. We love to hear about your latest birding experiences and look forward to sharing ours.  Thanks for your support!  Happy Birding!
-- Steve, Scott, Marlene, and Bill
Contact Info:      Steve Frye, Owner      WBCBoulderCO@aol.com      (303) 442-1322
                             Wild Bird Center of Boulder   1641 - 28th Street   Boulder, CO 80301