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bird watchers (that's us)
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. Call for more info: 303-442-1322 Birdwalks
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eNature Ringtones
I recently had to purchase a new cell phone. My new phone
has so many bells and whistles that I'm sure how to operate it, but I'm
learning slowly. One fun thing that I tried was changing the sounds of my
phone. I figured a Wild Bird Center Owner should have bird sounds on his phone.
I went to http://wild.enature.com/ringtones/ so that I could download of few
free bird sounds onto my phone. Now when you call me I hear a Swainson's Thrush
singing. The possibilities are quite endless, eNature has many different sounds
available. You might consider insect or mammal noises. Your phone might be able
to select specific rings for different contacts in your phonebook. Perhaps you
would select a Plains Spadefoot Toad for your Mother-in-Law. How about a Howler
Monkey or the bellow of a Steller's Sea
Lion? They even have all the state bird sounds. When someone from Minnesota calls me I
hear a common loon.
There are
several ways to get the tones onto your phone, but I found the easiest way was
to send a text message to my phone and then download the tone onto my phone.
Let me know what clever ways you use your ringtones.
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Petrified Wood Sale
Wild
Bird Center
Staffer Bill Eeds is having a sale on all his cut and polished petrified wood
and petrified wood jewelry through mid December to raise money for a childhood
friends' family after his recent passing. All the proceeds will go to the
family of Eddie Gore to help cover their medical expenses. So buy a few gifts
and do a good deed at the same time. Thanks.
 petrified wood jewelry
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The Wild Bird Center Helps Kids Build Bat Boxes
We recently made bat boxes with some kids at Longmont Estates Elementary. (We were supposed to do it before Halloween, but my case of H1N1 got in the way) It took about an hour of hammering for the 20 kids to complete their boxes. Hopefully, next spring Longmont will have a lot of happy bats. The kits were made using the instruction for our bat box kit made from fence pickets which can be found on our Website. Many thanks to the Longmont Home Depot for making up our kits and to Jean and Sally at Longmont Estates for all the support. 
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Sigrid Ueblacker 1940 - 2009
Sad news to report from the Birds of Prey
Foundation on the passing of its founder Sigrid Ueblacker. More information can be found on the Birds of Prey Website. The Foundation, and
its work of helping injured raptors, will continue to operate.
 red-tailed hawk
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Photo Credits
"Birding Community Bulletins" by National Wildlife Refuge Association
"Wings" by Wendy Marie Stuart
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Wild Bird Center of Boulder Quick Links
Xcel Energy BirdCams
One fun way to participate in the lives of local birds is by viewing Xcel Energy's Web Cams
owl cam

eagle cam
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Birding Community Bulletins
National Wildlife Refuge Association
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Nature Photography by Wendy Marie Stuart
"Wings" by Wendy Marie Stuart
Visit our store to see a gallery of Wendy's matted and framed prints and greeting cards for all occasions or
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Thank you! on our 20th Anniversary from all of us at YOUR Wild Bird Center! We couldn't have done this without you! Twenty years is a long time in anyone's book and we owe our success to you -- our customers, compatriots, fellow birders, and friends. A hearty thank you to you all!
Steve, Wendy, Marlene, & Bill

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Contact Information
Steve Frye, Owner
Wild Bird Center Boulder
1641-28th Street
Boulder, CO 80301
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Let's Talk Turkey by Steve Frye
On several occasions, I have had the experience of seeing a horrified look come over a hosts' face. This expression usually comes just before we sit down to dinner and the host realizes that they are going to serve a bird to the owner of the Bird Center. "Oh my gosh, do you eat birds, do you eat turkey (or chicken)?" they cry out. I just chuckle and say, 'sure they're domestic'. A sigh of relief quickly follows. In fact, I love to cook and have even developed my own recipe for cooking turkey which I will share at the end of this article.
Turkeys are yummy, and that is one reason they were (reportedly) served at the first Thanksgiving Dinner. We have associated turkey with Thanksgiving ever since (even though it was Abraham Lincoln who started the holiday). When Europeans first arrived in North America, wild turkeys were plentiful. Thomas Morton wrote in 1637, 'Turkies there are, which divers times in great flocks have sallied by our doores; and then a gunne, being commonly in redinesse, salutes them with such a courtesie, as makes them take a turne in the Cooke roome. They daunce by the doore so well.' Not long after this statement in 1672 John Jossselyn wrote, 'I have also seen threescore broods of young Turkies on the side of a marsh, sunning themselves in a morning betimes, but this was thirty years since, the English and the Indians having now destroyed the breed, so that 'tis very rare to meet with a wild turkie in the Woods.' Turkeys are yummy, and that is one reason they became so rare so quickly. The last wild turkey was killed in Connecticut in 1813 and in Massachusetts it was in 1851. The historic turkey population in Colorado was marginal and it declined severely during the 19th century also.
 The above description of turkeys walking past the door is rather surprising, because turkeys are very wary birds. Or at least they are now. This is not an uncommon response to persecution in the animal world. The turkeys that survived centuries ago lived, in part, because they were the cautious ones. The subsequent generations of those turkeys are wary, cunning, and hidden like their progenitors. Today, a turkey hunter has to go to great lengths with camouflage, blinds, and makeup in order to get close enough to bag a turkey. wild turkey The pendulum now seems to be swinging the other way. Wild Turkey populations have rebounded to numbers perhaps greater than when Europeans first came to North America. These populations have also become much bolder. These are turkeys that have changed their behavior back to being less wary because they have never been hunted. We have customers who have huge flocks of turkey swarming around their houses and are quite bold about their presence. The reintroduction of wild turkey and their range expansion has been largely due to efforts by game agencies (seeking hunter dollars). Wild turkeys were even introduced to Hawaii in the late 1950's. The Colorado Division of Wildlife starting in the 1930's trapping wild turkeys from other regions of the country and transplanting them here. The turkey subspecies that they introduced was the Rio Grande subspecies, this is the predominate subspecies on the eastern plains. Our native subspecies, the Merriam, is found in the mountains and western Colorado.
Rio Grande turkeys have relatively long legs and overall green-coopery coloration. The tips of their tail and the feathers on their lower back are buff colored. In subtle contrast, the Merriam turkey has more purple and bronze iridescence in the feathers and their tail and lower back feathers are tipped in white.
Wild turkeys are a rather preposterous looking thing. They do have beautiful iridescent feathers which can show blue, purple, green, copper, brown, and black. Then you have the warty blue and red skin covering their heads with a somewhat bizarre dangling piece of flesh above their beak called a snood. The males and about 15% of female turkeys have a tuft of feathers called a beard which goes straight out of their chests'. Put those together with the long legs and large tail and you get a rather silly looking concoction for a bird.
Odd as they may look at times, Benjamin Franklin was a turkey supporter and is often referenced when talking about turkeys. He wrote in a letter to his daughter on January 26, 1784 critical of the bald eagle as the choice for our national symbol.
"For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.
With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country...
I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America...He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on."
I agree with Mr. Franklin about the moral character of the two birds, but I'm still not sure if I could vote against the bald eagle.
If you want to look for this preposterous bird with the high moral character in Boulder County, it will take some persistence. The best places to look are Sandstone Ranch in Longmont and Flagstaff Mountain west of Boulder. I have seen them in all seasons out at Sandstone in the fields to the west of the homestead.
I'm sure the next turkey I see will be in my paper recycling bin. That's what I use to brine my turkeys before I roast them. Brining is essential for a juicy, tasty turkey. It is simply soaking the bird in water with salt and sugar, but it makes a big difference. See the link below for more on brining. The way we roast turkeys is really quite simple. I call it drunken turkey. Start by stuffing the neck and chest cavities with some onions, celery, and about 24 cloves of garlic. Have no fear of the many garlic cloves; the bird will not have a raw garlic flavor after it has been roasted. Pat the bird dry and rub it with butter, then salt and pepper the skin and place on a rack in a roasting pan. Next add about one cup of chicken broth and two or three cups of vermouth to the pan. Roast the turkey basting often with the pan juices. When the bird is done, strain the pan juices and skim off the fat. Use this broth to make your gravy. There is nothing as yummy as drunken turkey gravy. Enjoy your turkey this holiday season and remember that this New World Bird has been through a lot.
All About Birds: Wild Turkey
Macauley Library for additional video and audio of Wild Turkey
Wild Turkey photos by Bill Schmoker
Peterson Series: Wild Turkey on Youtube
Wild Turkey ringtones (See article on ringtones)
Wild Turkey brining reciepe
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----- Coupon ----- Coupon ----- Coupon -----
$10.00 Off on any heated bird bath or bird bath
heater
 Go to our Online Catalog to view: Bird Baths Bird Heaters
Mention CODE WB1117 or that you received this coupon via email when you come into the store. Or Call (303) 442-1322 to redeem. Some restrictions may apply. Not valid in combination with other promotions. Expiration date: 11/30/09.
----- Coupon ----- Coupon ----- Coupon -----
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Coming Events
Wildlife Tree Day - December 5, 2009
10:30am - Noon
Wildlife Tree Day is a holiday tradition at the Wild Bird
Center. Visit the store
between 10:30 and noon on the 5th to make edible ornaments for your
backyard birds. This is a great (& free) event for everyone. Make a bunch
of ornaments for the trees in your yard or surprise a friend by decorating their
tree with ornaments and birds. A great way to get into the Holiday Spirit. Call
the Wild Bird Center
at 303-442-1322 for more details.
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Ask Steve
Q: Can you give me any hints to find more raptors?
A: I often think that a raptor watchers best friend is the
European Starling. It sounds a little funny, but starlings are great at giving
alarm calls whenever birds of prey are around. Their alarm call sounds like a
high pitched, metallic 'boop' to me.
Listen to the last selection on the sound page to hear the starling 'boop'.
When given rapidly and with emphasis, you should be looking around for a hawk.
Also, in flight, starling flocks sometimes form a tight ball. If you look
directly under this tight flock formation you will find a hawk in the air.
european starling
 I
have found a lot of hawks, eagles, and falcons over the years by paying
attention to warning calls of many different species, not just to starlings.
Another birds' alarm call to become familiar with is the American Robin. Their
alarm call is a high, thin whistle. And, of course, jays are great at sending
out the alarm, but they give their 'jay' call quite often. You just have to pay
attention when it is given rapidly and with greater emphasis than normal.
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Project Wildbird & Dr. David Horn

Dr. Horn from Milliken
University has been studying wild bird
food and feeder preferences for several years with the support of Wild Bird
Centers of America.
His findings have led to our new BirdWise Blends. Read a recent article and see a video about Dr. Horn's work.
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New Wild Bird Center Website Launched The Wild Bird Centers launched a new Website last month which has some neat new features. One slick new feature is the Common Bird Field Guides which shows photos and videos, lets you listen to songs, and has a lot of great info including how to attract the most common species. Many of you noted our troubles when the site first went live, but we have ironed out most of these problems
We are always working on increasing the value of our site. The address for the new site is www.wildbird.com/franchisee/bld and you can always reach the new site by going to our Product Catalog at www.wbcboulder.com and clicking on the Wild Bird Center Home link on top of the left navigation column. Be sure to bookmark both of them! Or you can just use the links below to navigate our local Boulder pages of the new site.
common western birds common eastern birds 
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Wild Bird Center of Boulder Catalog Web Site
We continue to add products to our Catalog Website for our Boulder Store. While we are under construction, we invite you to check it out at www.WBCBoulder.com. For all you locals who get seed delivered, you can use the site to figure out an order and delivery charges. Feel free to email us or call (303) 442 1322 with your product questions.
Click Here To View Our New Product Catalog
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